Whole Wheat Bread vs. Couscous
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Cooked Couscous
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole wheat bread
versus
cooked
couscous
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and couscous:
- Both whole wheat bread and couscous are high in calories.
- Couscous has 62.9 times less sugar than whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and potassium.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat bread and couscous are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 137% more calories than couscous - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to couscous per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:65:14 and for couscous, 14:85:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 85% |
| Fat | 14% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 46% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 429% more dietary fiber than couscous - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous has 62.9 times less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein and it has 253% more protein than couscous - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and couscous are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Whole wheat bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both whole wheat bread and couscous contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.063 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | 0.371 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.051 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than couscous - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 558% more iron than couscous - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 297% more potassium than couscous - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Whole Wheat Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.003 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.06 G |
| Total | 1.669 G | 0.06 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: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) .
Whole Wheat Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Couscous 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 whole wheat bread or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat bread and couscous are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 140% more calories than couscous - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 50% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or couscous contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than couscous - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.