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Quinoa vs. Wheat — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between Quinoa and Wheat?

  • Quinoa is richer in Folate, Vitamin B2, and Polyunsaturated fat, while Wheat is higher in Selenium, Manganese, Vitamin B3, Zinc, and Fiber.
  • Wheat's daily need coverage for Selenium is 53% higher.
  • Wheat has 4 times less Polyunsaturated fat than Quinoa. Quinoa has 1.078g of Polyunsaturated fat, while Wheat has 0.243g.
  • Quinoa is lower in Sugar.

We used Quinoa, cooked and Wheat, KAMUT khorasan, cooked types in this comparison.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Wheat infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Quinoa
Quinoa
5
:
5
Wheat
Wheat
Contains more Calcium +88.9%
Contains more Magnesium +33.3%
Contains less Sodium -12.5%
Contains more Iron +18.1%
Contains more Zinc +68.8%
Contains more Manganese +63.2%
Contains more Selenium +1039.3%
Equal in Phosphorus - 147
Equal in Potassium - 164
Equal in Copper - 0.207
Quinoa
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 56% 46% 66% 16% 1% 30% 64% 83% 16%
Wheat
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 66% 35% 63% 15% 2% 51% 69% 135% 174%
Contains more Calcium +88.9%
Contains more Magnesium +33.3%
Contains less Sodium -12.5%
Contains more Iron +18.1%
Contains more Zinc +68.8%
Contains more Manganese +63.2%
Contains more Selenium +1039.3%
Equal in Phosphorus - 147
Equal in Potassium - 164
Equal in Copper - 0.207

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Quinoa
Quinoa
9
:
1
Wheat
Wheat
Contains more Vitamin A +25%
Contains more Vitamin E +162.5%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +12.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +266.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +75.7%
Contains more Folate +281.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +459.5%
Quinoa
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 13% 0% 0% 27% 26% 8% 0% 29% 32% 0% 0%
Wheat
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 5% 0% 0% 24% 7% 44% 0% 17% 9% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin A +25%
Contains more Vitamin E +162.5%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +12.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +266.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +75.7%
Contains more Folate +281.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +459.5%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
Quinoa
3
:
2
Wheat
Wheat
Contains more Fats +131.3%
Contains more Other +13.2%
Contains more Protein +29.8%
Contains more Carbs +29.6%
Equal in Water - 65.18
Quinoa
4% 2% 21% 72%
Protein: 4.4 g
Fats: 1.92 g
Carbs: 21.3 g
Water: 71.61 g
Other: 0.77 g
Wheat
6% 28% 65%
Protein: 5.71 g
Fats: 0.83 g
Carbs: 27.6 g
Water: 65.18 g
Other: 0.68 g
Contains more Fats +131.3%
Contains more Other +13.2%
Contains more Protein +29.8%
Contains more Carbs +29.6%
Equal in Water - 65.18

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
Quinoa
2
:
1
Wheat
Wheat
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +528.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +343.6%
Contains less Saturated Fat -66.7%
Quinoa
13% 29% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.231 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.078 g
Wheat
19% 21% 60%
Saturated Fat: 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.084 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.243 g
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +528.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +343.6%
Contains less Saturated Fat -66.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Quinoa Wheat
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Wheat Opinion
Net carbs 18.5g 23.3g Wheat
Protein 4.4g 5.71g Wheat
Fats 1.92g 0.83g Quinoa
Carbs 21.3g 27.6g Wheat
Calories 120kcal 132kcal Wheat
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Sugar 0.87g 3.07g Quinoa
Fiber 2.8g 4.3g Wheat
Calcium 17mg 9mg Quinoa
Iron 1.49mg 1.76mg Wheat
Magnesium 64mg 48mg Quinoa
Phosphorus 152mg 147mg Quinoa
Potassium 172mg 164mg Quinoa
Sodium 7mg 8mg Quinoa
Zinc 1.09mg 1.84mg Wheat
Copper 0.192mg 0.207mg Wheat
Manganese 0.631mg 1.03mg Wheat
Selenium 2.8µg 31.9µg Wheat
Vitamin A 5IU 4IU Quinoa
Vitamin E 0.63mg 0.24mg Quinoa
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.095mg Quinoa
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.03mg Quinoa
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 2.305mg Wheat
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.07mg Quinoa
Folate 42µg 11µg Quinoa
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.051mg Quinoa
Threonine 0.131mg 0.172mg Wheat
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.22mg Wheat
Leucine 0.261mg 0.432mg Wheat
Lysine 0.239mg 0.161mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.096mg 0.097mg Wheat
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.3mg Wheat
Valine 0.185mg 0.267mg Wheat
Histidine 0.127mg 0.147mg Wheat
Trans Fat 0.002g Quinoa
Saturated Fat 0.231g 0.077g Wheat
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g Quinoa
Monounsaturated Fat 0.528g 0.084g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.243g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Quinoa Wheat
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
11%
Quinoa
9%
Wheat
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
61%
Wheat

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.154g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in glycemic index (difference - 3)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.2g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $0.4)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Quinoa - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168917/nutrients
  2. Wheat - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169744/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.