Couscous vs. Wild Rice

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Cooked Wild Rice


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked couscous versus cooked wild rice (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and wild rice:

  • Both wild rice and couscous are high in calories.
  • Wild rice has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, couscous contains more pantothenic acid.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous and wild rice 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wild Rice (Wild rice, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Wild Rice src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wild rice and couscous are high in calories. Wild rice is very similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is similar to wild rice for protein, carbs and fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for wild rice, 15:82:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Wild Rice
Protein 14% 15%
Carbohydrates 85% 82%
Fat 2% 3%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - wild rice has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Wild rice has 29% more dietary fiber than couscous - wild rice has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of sugar - wild rice has 0.73g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of protein - wild rice has 4g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wild rice and couscous are low in saturated fat - wild rice has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - wild rice has 0.9ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wild rice has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wild rice has 0.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Wild rice has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, couscous contains more pantothenic acid. Both couscous and wild rice contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.

Couscous Wild Rice
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.052 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.087 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 1.287 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG 0.154 MG
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.135 MG
Folate 15 UG 26 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of calcium - wild rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of iron - wild rice has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Wild rice has 74% more potassium than couscous - wild rice has 101mg 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,

Couscous Wild Rice
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG 64 UG
beta-carotene ~ 2 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, wild rice has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Wild Rice
alpha linoleic acid 0.003 G 0.095 G
Total 0.003 G 0.095 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both couscous and wild rice contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Couscous Wild Rice
linoleic acid 0.06 G 0.119 G
Total 0.06 G 0.119 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wild Rice (Wild rice, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does wild rice or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wild rice and couscous are high in calories. Wild rice is quite similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.

Does wild rice or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wild rice and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - wild rice has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

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