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  6. Cereal vs. Quinoa

Cereal vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between Cereal and Quinoa

  • Cereal is higher in Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Iron, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A RAE, Zinc, and Vitamin C, yet Quinoa is higher in Phosphorus.
  • Cereal covers your daily Vitamin B1 needs 515% more than Quinoa.
  • The amount of Sodium in Quinoa is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Cereals ready-to-eat, USDA Commodity Corn and Rice (includes all commodity brands) and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Cereal vs Quinoa 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.
Cereal
Cereal
4
:
6
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Iron +2185.9%
Contains more Zinc +597.2%
Contains more Manganese +25.2%
Contains more Selenium +125%
Contains more Calcium +70%
Contains more Magnesium +236.8%
Contains more Phosphorus +97.4%
Contains more Potassium +63.8%
Contains less Sodium -99.1%
Contains more Copper +40.1%
Cereal
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 1278% 14% 33% 10% 104% 208% 46% 104% 35%
Quinoa
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 56% 46% 66% 16% 1% 30% 64% 83% 16%
Contains more Iron +2185.9%
Contains more Zinc +597.2%
Contains more Manganese +25.2%
Contains more Selenium +125%
Contains more Calcium +70%
Contains more Magnesium +236.8%
Contains more Phosphorus +97.4%
Contains more Potassium +63.8%
Contains less Sodium -99.1%
Contains more Copper +40.1%

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.
Cereal
Cereal
7
:
4
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Vitamin A +55740%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +5776.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +3418.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +7089.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +4766.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +687.5%
Cereal
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 168% 2% 0% 129% 1572% 894% 556% 14% 1382% 0% 0% 0%
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%
Contains more Vitamin A +55740%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +5776.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +3418.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +7089.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +4766.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +687.5%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
Cereal
3
:
2
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Protein +37.7%
Contains more Carbs +307.7%
Contains more Other +189.6%
Contains more Fats +77.8%
Contains more Water +1794.4%
Cereal
6% 87% 4% 2%
Protein: 6.06 g
Fats: 1.08 g
Carbs: 86.85 g
Water: 3.78 g
Other: 2.23 g
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
Contains more Protein +37.7%
Contains more Carbs +307.7%
Contains more Other +189.6%
Contains more Fats +77.8%
Contains more Water +1794.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
Cereal
0
:
3
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains less Saturated Fat -11.2%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +158.8%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +204.5%
Cereal
32% 25% 43%
Saturated Fat: 0.26 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.204 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.354 g
Quinoa
13% 29% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.231 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.078 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -11.2%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +158.8%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +204.5%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
Cereal
4
:
1
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Sucrose +∞%
Contains more Glucose +∞%
Contains more Fructose +∞%
Contains more Maltose +∞%
Contains more Starch +∞%
Cereal
94% 3% 3%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 9.74 g
Glucose: 0.27 g
Fructose: 0.26 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.09 g
Galactose: 0 g
Quinoa
100%
Starch: 17.63 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more Sucrose +∞%
Contains more Glucose +∞%
Contains more Fructose +∞%
Contains more Maltose +∞%
Contains more Starch +∞%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cereal Quinoa Opinion
Net carbs 85.45g 18.5g Cereal
Protein 6.06g 4.4g Cereal
Fats 1.08g 1.92g Quinoa
Carbs 86.85g 21.3g Cereal
Calories 378kcal 120kcal Cereal
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Fructose 0.26g Cereal
Sugar 10.35g 0.87g Quinoa
Fiber 1.4g 2.8g Quinoa
Calcium 10mg 17mg Quinoa
Iron 34.06mg 1.49mg Cereal
Magnesium 19mg 64mg Quinoa
Phosphorus 77mg 152mg Quinoa
Potassium 105mg 172mg Quinoa
Sodium 795mg 7mg Quinoa
Zinc 7.6mg 1.09mg Cereal
Copper 0.137mg 0.192mg Quinoa
Manganese 0.79mg 0.631mg Cereal
Selenium 6.3µg 2.8µg Cereal
Vitamin A 2792IU 5IU Cereal
Vitamin A RAE 814µg 0µg Cereal
Vitamin E 0.08mg 0.63mg Quinoa
Vitamin C 38.5mg 0mg Cereal
Vitamin B1 6.288mg 0.107mg Cereal
Vitamin B2 3.87mg 0.11mg Cereal
Vitamin B3 29.62mg 0.412mg Cereal
Vitamin B5 0.226mg Cereal
Vitamin B6 5.986mg 0.123mg Cereal
Folate 42µg Quinoa
Tryptophan 0.066mg 0.052mg Cereal
Threonine 0.241mg 0.131mg Cereal
Isoleucine 0.26mg 0.157mg Cereal
Leucine 0.767mg 0.261mg Cereal
Lysine 0.113mg 0.239mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.13mg 0.096mg Cereal
Phenylalanine 0.365mg 0.185mg Cereal
Valine 0.344mg 0.185mg Cereal
Histidine 0.162mg 0.127mg Cereal
Saturated Fat 0.26g 0.231g Quinoa
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.015g Quinoa
Monounsaturated Fat 0.204g 0.528g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 0.354g 1.078g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cereal Quinoa
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
393%
Cereal
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
183%
Cereal
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 9.48g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 788mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.029g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in glycemic index (difference - 16)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 0mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
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.
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
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

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.