Brown Rice vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
brown rice
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and spirulina:
- Both brown rice and spirulina are high in calories.
- Brown rice has 9.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than brown rice.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown rice and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 136% more calories than brown rice - brown rice has 123 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 24% |
| Fat | 7% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Brown rice and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - brown rice has 25.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 125% more dietary fiber than brown rice - brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Brown rice and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - brown rice has 0.24g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 19 times more protein than brown rice - brown rice has 2.7g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Brown rice has 9.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina - brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than brown rice - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than brown rice - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 28 times more Vitamin E than brown rice - brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 126 times more Vitamin K than brown rice - brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Brown Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.178 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.069 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 2.561 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 39 times more calcium than brown rice - brown rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 49 times more iron than brown rice - brown rice has 0.56mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 14 times more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.355 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.359 G | 1.254 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Cooked Brown Rice g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 brown rice or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown rice and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 140% more calories than brown rice - brown rice has 123 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is brown rice or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 19 times more protein than brown rice - brown rice has 2.7g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does brown rice or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, brown rice and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - brown rice has 25.6g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does brown rice or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 39 times more calcium than brown rice - brown rice has 3mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does brown rice or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 49 times more iron than brown rice - brown rice has 0.56mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does brown rice or spirulina contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 14 times more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.