Comparing Nutrients in 500 calories Cooked Pasta VS Sunflower Seeds

Weight per 500 calories

• Cooked Pasta: 317g
• Sunflower Seeds: 85.6g

Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have 3.7 times more energy per unit of mass than Cooked Pasta, which is very high in comparison to other foods. Cooked Pasta having above average energy density.

Which food has more nutrients per 500 calories - Cooked Pasta or Sunflower Seeds?

Macros Ratio

	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Cooked Pasta	15%	5%	80%
Sunflower Seeds	13%	74%	13%

Macro Nutrients

	Cooked Pasta	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Energy	17.2% 500kcal	17.2% 500kcal	2900kcal per day for Men 19-50 years
Fat	3.03% 2.94g	45.4% 44g	97g per day for Men 19-50 years
Saturated Fat	1.74% 0.56g	12% 3.8g	32g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 3	4.75% 0.076g	3.2% 0.051g	1.6g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 6	5.5% 0.93g	116% 19.7g	17g per day for Men 19-50 years
Cholesterol	0% 0mg	0% 0mg	290mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Carbohydrate	75% 98g	13% 17g	130g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sugars	2.44% 1.77g	3.1% 2.24g	72.5g per day for Men 19-50 years	Limit added sugars in the diet to less than 10% of total calories [Guidelines 2020]
Fructose	0.13% 0.095g	NA	72.5g per day for Men 19-50 years	≤50g/day or ~10% of energy has no deleterious effect on lipid and glucose control and of ≤100g/day does not influence body weight[PMC2991323]
Glucose	% 0.13g	NA	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sucrose	% 0.28g	% 2.14g	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Fiber	15% 5.7g	19.4% 7.36g	38g per day for Men 19-50 years
Protein	32.8% 18.4g	31.8% 17.8g	56g per day for Men 19-50 years

Vitamins

	Cooked Pasta	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Vitamin A	0% 0μg	0.29% 2.57μg	900μg per day for Men 19-50 years	RAE, retinol activity equivalents
Vitamin B1	5.27% 0.063mg	106% 1.27mg	1.2mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Thiamine
Vitamin B2	4.87% 0.063mg	23.4% 0.3mg	1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Riboflavin
Vitamin B3	7.9% 1.27mg	44.6% 7.14mg	16mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide
Vitamin B5	7.1% 0.35mg	19.3% 0.97mg	5mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B6	12% 0.16mg	88.6% 1.15mg	1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Pyridoxine
Vitamin B7	NA	NA	30μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Biotin
Vitamin B9	5.54% 22μg	48.6% 194μg	400μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Folates and Folic Acid
Vitamin B12	0% 0μg	0% 0μg	2.4μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Cobalamin
Vitamin C	0% 0mg	1.33% 1.2mg	90mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Ascorbic acid
Vitamin D	0% 0IU	0% 0IU	600IU per day for Men 19-50 years	Calciferol, cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol
Vitamin E	1.27% 0.19mg	201% 30mg	15mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Tocopherols and Tocotrienols
Vitamin K	0% 0μg	0% 0μg	120μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Phytomenadione or phylloquinone

Minerals

	Cooked Pasta	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Calcium	2.2% 22mg	6.68% 66.8mg	1000mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Copper	35% 0.32mg	171% 1.54mg	0.9mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Fluoride	NA	NA	4000μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Fluoride is a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay and helps keep your bones strong. [RDA]
Iron	19.8% 1.6mg	56% 4.5mg	8mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Magnesium	13.6% 57mg	66.3% 278mg	420mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Manganese	44.3% 1mg	72.6% 1.67mg	2.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Molybdenum	NA	NA	45μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Molybdenum is an essential trace element that is naturally present in many foods [RDA]
Phosphorus	26.2% 184mg	80.7% 565mg	700mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Potassium	4.1% 139mg	16.2% 552mg	3400mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Selenium	152% 83.5μg	82.5% 45.4μg	55μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Sodium	0.21% 3.16mg	0.51% 7.7mg	1500mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Zinc	14.7% 1.6mg	39% 4.3mg	11mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Water	5.3% 197g	0.11% 4.05g	3700g per day for Men 19-50 years

Lets compare vitamin content per 500 calories of Cooked Pasta vs Sunflower Seeds:

• Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 20 times more Vitamin B1, 4.8 times more Vitamin B2, 5.6 times more Vitamin B3, 2.7 times more Vitamin B5, 7.4 times more Vitamin B6, 8.8 times more Vitamin B9 and 158.6 times more Vitamin E than Cooked Pasta.
• Both Cooked Pasta as well as Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have insufficient amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin K in 500 kcal.

Comparing minerals per 500 calories for Cooked Pasta vs Sunflower Seeds:

• Cooked Pasta has 1.8 times more Selenium and 48.6 times more Water than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 3 times more Calcium, 4.9 times more Copper, 2.8 times more Iron, 4.9 times more Magnesium, 1.6 times more Manganese, 3.1 times more Phosphorus, 4 times more Potassium and 2.7 times more Zinc than Cooked Pasta.

Comparison of macro-nutrients per 500 calories:

• Cooked Pasta has 5.7 times more Carbohydrate than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 15 times more Fat, 6.8 times more Saturated Fat, 21.1 times more Omega 6 and 1.3 times more Fiber than Cooked Pasta.
• Both Cooked Pasta and Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have similar amounts of Energy and Protein per 500 kcal.
• Both Cooked Pasta as well as Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have insufficient amounts of Omega 3, Cholesterol, Glucose and Sucrose in 500 kcal.