Comparing Nutrients in 500 calories Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta VS Sunflower Seeds

Weight per 500 calories

• Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta: 336g
• Sunflower Seeds: 85.6g

Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have 3.9 times more energy per unit of mass than Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta, which is very high in comparison to other foods. Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta having average energy density.

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

Macros Ratio

	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta	15%	10%	75%
Sunflower Seeds	13%	74%	13%

Macro Nutrients

	Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Energy	17.2% 500kcal	17.2% 500kcal	2900kcal per day for Men 19-50 years
Fat	5.9% 5.74g	45.4% 44g	97g per day for Men 19-50 years
Saturated Fat	2.55% 0.82g	12% 3.8g	32g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 3	7.55% 0.12g	3.2% 0.051g	1.6g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 6	10.6% 1.8g	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	77.6% 101g	13% 17g	130g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sugars	3.47% 2.5g	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	0.32% 0.23g	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	% 0.23g	NA	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sucrose	% 0.67g	% 2.14g	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Fiber	34.4% 13g	19.4% 7.36g	38g per day for Men 19-50 years
Protein	36% 20g	31.8% 17.8g	56g per day for Men 19-50 years

Vitamins

	Cooked Whole-wheat 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	43.6% 0.52mg	106% 1.27mg	1.2mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Thiamine
Vitamin B2	25.6% 0.33mg	23.4% 0.3mg	1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Riboflavin
Vitamin B3	65.6% 10.5mg	44.6% 7.14mg	16mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide
Vitamin B5	18% 0.9mg	19.3% 0.97mg	5mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B6	24% 0.31mg	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	17.6% 70.5μg	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	5.15% 0.77mg	201% 30mg	15mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Tocopherols and Tocotrienols
Vitamin K	1.68% 2μg	0% 0μg	120μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Phytomenadione or phylloquinone

Minerals

	Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Calcium	4.36% 43.6mg	6.68% 66.8mg	1000mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Copper	84% 0.76mg	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	72% 5.77mg	56% 4.5mg	8mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Magnesium	43% 181mg	66.3% 278mg	420mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Manganese	193% 4.43mg	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	61% 426mg	80.7% 565mg	700mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Potassium	9.47% 322mg	16.2% 552mg	3400mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Selenium	221% 122μg	82.5% 45.4μg	55μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Sodium	0.89% 13.4mg	0.51% 7.7mg	1500mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Zinc	41% 4.5mg	39% 4.3mg	11mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Water	5.6% 207g	0.11% 4.05g	3700g per day for Men 19-50 years

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

• Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta has 1.5 times more Vitamin B3 than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 2.4 times more Vitamin B1, 3.7 times more Vitamin B6, 2.8 times more Vitamin B9 and 39 times more Vitamin E than Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta.
• Both Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta and Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have similar amounts of Vitamin B2 and Vitamin B5 per 500 kcal.
• Both Cooked Whole-wheat 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 Whole-wheat Pasta vs Sunflower Seeds:

• Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta has 1.3 times more Iron, 2.7 times more Manganese, 2.7 times more Selenium and 51.2 times more Water than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 1.5 times more Calcium, 2 times more Copper, 1.5 times more Magnesium, 1.3 times more Phosphorus and 1.7 times more Potassium than Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta.
• Both Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta and Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have similar amounts of Zinc per 500 kcal.

Comparison of macro-nutrients per 500 calories:

• Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta has 2.4 times more Omega 3, 5.9 times more Carbohydrate and 1.8 times more Fiber than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 7.7 times more Fat, 4.7 times more Saturated Fat and 10.9 times more Omega 6 than Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta.
• Both Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta and Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have similar amounts of Energy and Protein per 500 kcal.
• Both Cooked Whole-wheat Pasta as well as Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have insufficient amounts of Cholesterol, Glucose and Sucrose in 500 kcal.