Which Food Has the Highest Amount of Starch?

November 30, 2025 •

3 min read

While foods like potatoes and pasta are widely known for their starch content, some dehydrated or processed items contain an even higher concentration. This guide explores which food has the highest amount of starch by weight and breaks down the most starchy foods across different categories.

Quick Summary

This article identifies which food is the most starchy by weight and categorizes other top contenders, including high-starch flours, grains, legumes, and root vegetables. It provides a detailed comparison and offers tips for incorporating or managing starchy foods in your diet.

Key Points

Cassava Starch is the Highest: Processed cassava starch (tapioca) contains the highest concentration of pure starch by weight, often exceeding 80%.
Refined vs. Whole Foods: Highly processed products like flours generally have more concentrated starch than whole foods, which contain fiber, protein, and other nutrients.
Top Starchy Whole Foods: Notable whole foods with high starch content include cornmeal, white rice, white potatoes, and unripe plantains.
Preparation Matters: Cooking and cooling certain starchy foods can increase the amount of resistant starch, which benefits gut health and promotes fullness.
Choose Whole-Grain Options: For better nutritional value and more fiber, opt for whole-grain starches like brown rice and whole wheat pasta over their refined counterparts.
Starch Provides Energy: As a primary source of glucose, starch is a crucial energy source for the body and is a core component of a healthy, balanced diet.

Cassava Starch: The Concentration King

When evaluating which food has the highest amount of starch, it's crucial to consider whether you're measuring the raw ingredient, a prepared item, or a processed product. While many fresh foods contain significant starch, highly processed starches derived from plants often have the highest concentration by weight. The clear winner in this category is pure cassava starch, which contains an extremely high percentage of starch by dry weight. This is the refined powder extracted from the cassava root, also known as tapioca starch, and can consist of over 80% pure starch.

Top High-Starch Foods by Category

Beyond processed starches, many whole foods are naturally rich in this complex carbohydrate. The starch content can vary depending on the preparation method, as cooking and cooling can change the starch structure.

Root Vegetables

Cassava Root: The raw root itself is a dominant source, with some varieties containing 14-40% starch. However, once processed into flour, the concentration dramatically increases.
White Potatoes: A medium-sized white potato can hold around 17 grams of starch per 100 grams, a substantial amount for a fresh vegetable.
Plantains: These tropical staples, especially when green and unripe, are packed with starch, which converts to sugar as they ripen.

Grains

Cornmeal: Made from ground, dried corn, a single cup of cornmeal can contain over 100 grams of starch, representing a high percentage of its total weight.
White Rice: Refined white rice is another heavy hitter, with a cup of cooked white rice containing roughly 44 grams of starch.
Oats: A healthier whole-grain option, oats still contain a high amount of starch, along with beneficial fiber.

Legumes

Navy Beans: Along with other dried beans like pinto and kidney beans, navy beans are a very good source of starch.
Lentils: These small legumes offer a healthy dose of starch and are also rich in protein and fiber.

Comparison of Starch Content in Common Foods


Food (per 100g)	Raw/Cooked State	Starch Content (approx.)
Tapioca Starch (Cassava)	Processed, Dry Powder	79-84g
Cornmeal	Dry Powder	74g
White Rice	Cooked	25-44g
White Potato	Cooked	17g
Plantain	Cooked	15g
Sweet Potato	Cooked	8g

Navigating Your Diet: The Role of Starch

Understanding which foods have the highest starch content is useful for nutritional planning. For those seeking sustained energy, complex starches from whole foods like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta are excellent choices, as they also provide fiber and nutrients. Conversely, highly refined starches like cornmeal or pure tapioca powder are digested more quickly, providing a rapid energy boost but without the sustained benefits of whole food sources. The way you prepare starchy foods also affects their nutritional impact. For example, cooking and then cooling starchy foods like rice or potatoes can create resistant starch, which behaves more like dietary fiber and supports gut health. Ultimately, incorporating a variety of high-starch foods in their whole, unprocessed forms can be a vital part of a healthy, balanced diet. For more detailed information on specific starch content, you can consult authoritative nutrition databases like those provided by the USDA.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict

The single food product with the highest concentration of starch by weight is refined cassava starch, also known as tapioca flour, which can be over 80% pure starch. Among whole, unprocessed foods, grains like corn and rice, and root vegetables like potatoes and cassava root, contain the highest amounts. A balanced diet should prioritize whole-food sources of starch to ensure adequate fiber and nutrient intake alongside sustained energy release. For anyone looking to fine-tune their carbohydrate consumption, understanding the differences in starch content and its processing is key to making informed dietary decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, tapioca starch is the refined and powdered starch that is extracted from the pulp of the cassava root, so the two terms are often used interchangeably when referring to the processed flour.

Regular white potatoes typically have a higher starch content than sweet potatoes. Per 100 grams, boiled regular potatoes contain almost twice the amount of starch as boiled sweet potatoes.

No, not all starches are bad. Starch is a crucial energy source for the body. The healthfulness depends on the food source; whole-food sources like legumes and whole grains also provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Refined starches, however, can cause rapid blood sugar spikes.

Yes, unripe, green bananas contain a high amount of resistant starch. As the banana ripens and turns yellow, this starch converts into simple sugars, which is why ripe bananas are sweeter and less starchy.

Cooking gelatinizes starch, making it easier to digest. However, cooking and then cooling certain starchy foods, like rice or potatoes, can increase the amount of resistant starch, which is not digested and acts more like fiber.

While content can vary, dry cornmeal is exceptionally high in starch. Other whole grains like oats and brown rice are also very starchy, with the added benefit of being rich in fiber.

Starchy foods can be part of a weight-loss diet, especially high-fiber, whole-food sources like whole grains and potatoes with their skins. These can increase feelings of fullness and contain fewer calories per gram than fat. The key is portion control and cooking methods that don't add excessive fat.