Group · Starchy foods
Wheat semolina (couscous, cooked)
Wheat semolina, or couscous grain, is crushed durum wheat, moistened and rolled. Couscous is therefore not a separate cereal: it is a format. The base of North African cooking, it cooks in five minutes by simply swelling in a hot liquid.
In terms of nutrition facts, cooked, it provides 164 kcal per 100 g, with 31 g of carbohydrate, 6.38 g of protein, 2.8 g of fibre and 0.9 g of fat. It also provides 9.5 µg of selenium and 133 mg of potassium per 100 g. Its 6.38 g of protein make it one of the best-provided starchy foods in the family.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 164 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 693 kJ |
| Protein | 6,4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 31 g |
| Fat | 0,9 g |
| Fibre | 2,8 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Manganese0,45 mg23 %
- Selenium9,5 µg17 %
- Copper0,16 mg16 %
- Phosphorus90,2 mg13 %
- Vitamin B10,09 mg8 %
- Zinc0,75 mg8 %
- Magnesium25,9 mg7 %
- Potassium133 mg7 %
See the other 9 nutrients
- Iron0,76 mg5 %
- Omega-6 LA0,42 g4 %
- Vitamin B50,16 mg3 %
- Vitamin B60,03 mg2 %
- Calcium15 mg2 %
- Vitamin B93,5 µg2 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,03 g1 %
- Vitamin B30,2 mg1 %
- Vitamin A1,25 µg0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
It beats white rice on protein and fibre. 6.38 g against 3.19 g for basmati rice, and 2.8 g of fibre against 0.6 g. For almost identical calories, it is a better nutritional choice, without even mentioning the wholewheat version, which goes further still.
Wholewheat couscous exists and is worth the detour. Same preparation time, same use, more fibre and minerals. It is one of the easiest swaps to stick to in the long run, because it changes nothing about your habits.
Water, not oil. The classic method adds oil before swelling to stop the grains sticking. A very hot stock of vegetables and a go with a fork after five minutes give the same result without the 90 kcal of a spoonful of oil.
Cold, it makes a complete salad base. With chickpeas, tomatoes, parsley and lemon: that is the principle of tabbouleh, and the combination of cereal and pulse covers all the amino acids.
The portion. 60 to 80 g of dry semolina per person, which gives nearly 200 g cooked. Semolina triples in volume: it is one of the starchy foods where people most often go wrong when measuring by eye.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).
