According to the USDA, any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain falls into the grains category. This is why couscous, which looks, feels, and tastes like a grain, isn't a member of the same family — here's more on the differences between couscous and the grain it most resembles, rice.

The rice plant is a kind of semi-aquatic grass, and the grains are harvested and eaten after being heavily irrigated, then drained and dried. Couscous is actually handmade from semolina flour and water; the mixture is rolled into tiny beads — though they can vary in size — and steamed in a small amount of water until fluffy.

One cup of white rice has 242 calories, and often has B vitamins and minerals added, while one cup of couscous has 176 calories and more protein and fiber. Enriched white rice and standard couscous both have a mild, soft taste and texture with similar nutritional profiles, but try brown and wild rice or whole wheat pearl couscous to do one better.