Pasta vs. Turkey
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Turkey
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cooked
turkey
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and turkey:
- Both pasta and turkey are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has 6.7 times less saturated fat than turkey.
- Pasta has more thiamin and folate, however, turkey contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Pasta has signficantly less cholesterol than turkey.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and turkey are high in calories. Pasta has 96% more calories than turkey - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and turkey has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to turkey per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 63% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 37% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and turkey has 100% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and turkey has 0.06g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than turkey - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Turkey has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 119% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta has 6.7 times less saturated fat than turkey - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both turkey and pasta are low in trans fat - turkey has 0.1g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Pasta has signficantly less cholesterol than turkey - turkey has 109mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Turkey has more Vitamin A than pasta - turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Turkey has more Vitamin D than pasta - turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin and folate, however, turkey contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both pasta and turkey contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Pasta | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.281 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 9.573 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.948 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.616 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.02 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and turkey contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and turkey has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 203% more iron than turkey - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and turkey has 1.1mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and turkey are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, turkey has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.108 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.005 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.129 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, turkey has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 1.873 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 1.883 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Turkey g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does pasta or turkey contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and turkey are high in calories. Pasta has 100% more calories than turkey - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and turkey has 189 calories.
Is pasta or turkey better for protein?
Both pasta and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 120% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.
Does pasta or turkey have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and turkey has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and turkey has 0.06g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or turkey contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 200% more iron than turkey - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and turkey has 1.1mg of iron.
Does pasta or turkey contain more potassium?
Both pasta and turkey are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.