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Penne vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between penne and quinoa

  • Penne has more calcium; however, quinoa is higher in iron, magnesium, and polyunsaturated fat.
  • Penne has 10 times more saturated fat than quinoa. While penne has 2.3g of saturated fat, quinoa has only 0.231g.
  • Quinoa has less sodium.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison KASHI Three Cheese Penne, frozen, unprepared and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Penne 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.
Penne
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 21% 27% 11% 30% 0% 30% 51% 32% 0% 0%
Quinoa
8
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 46% 5.1% 15% 56% 64% 30% 65% 0.91% 82% 15%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +423.5%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +113.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +41%
Contains more IronIron +86.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +28.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -97.2%
~equal in Zinc ~1.09mg

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.
Penne
0
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Quinoa
7
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 13% 0% 27% 25% 7.7% 0% 28% 0% 0% 32% 13%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Penne
4
6% 4% 17% 72%
Protein: 5.7 g
Fats: 4 g
Carbs: 16.8 g
Water: 72.4 g
Other: 1.1 g
Quinoa
1
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 ProteinProtein +29.5%
Contains more FatsFats +108.3%
Contains more OtherOther +42.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +26.8%
~equal in Water ~71.61g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Penne
1
62% 27% 11%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.3 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.4 g
Quinoa
2
13% 29% 59%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.231 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.078 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +89.4%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -90%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +169.5%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Penne Quinoa DV% diff.
Manganese 0.631mg 27%
Copper 0.192mg 21%
Folate 42µg 11%
Sodium 248mg 7mg 10%
Iron 0.8mg 1.49mg 9%
Saturated fat 2.3g 0.231g 9%
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 9%
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 9%
Magnesium 30mg 64mg 8%
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 8%
Starch 17.63g 7%
Calcium 89mg 17mg 7%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.4g 1.078g 5%
Selenium 2.8µg 5%
Phosphorus 118mg 152mg 5%
Choline 23mg 4%
Cholesterol 12mg 0mg 4%
Vitamin E 0.63mg 4%
Fats 4g 1.92g 3%
Protein 5.7g 4.4g 3%
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 3%
Carbs 16.8g 21.3g 2%
Potassium 122mg 172mg 1%
Monounsaturated fat 1g 0.528g 1%
Calories 126kcal 120kcal 0%
Net carbs 14.1g 18.5g N/A
Sugar 1.9g 0.87g N/A
Fiber 2.7g 2.8g 0%
Zinc 1.1mg 1.09mg 0%
Trans fat 0.2g N/A
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0%
Threonine 0.131mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0%
Leucine 0.261mg 0%
Lysine 0.239mg 0%
Methionine 0.096mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0%
Valine 0.185mg 0%
Histidine 0.127mg 0%
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Penne Quinoa
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
0%
Penne
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
20%
Penne
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 12mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.03g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 241mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.069g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Penne
Penne is lower in glycemic index (difference - 10)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)

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.