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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of whole wheat bread and couscous is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of Whole Wheat Bread src
Image of Couscous src

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 20:66:14 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 66% 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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Whole Wheat Bread or Couscous .

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 %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol 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.