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Quinoa vs. Cornmeal — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are quinoa and cornmeal different?

  • Quinoa is higher in manganese, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus; however, cornmeal is richer in folate, vitamin B1, iron, vitamin B3, vitamin B2, and selenium.
  • Daily need coverage for folate for cornmeal is 42% higher.
  • Quinoa contains 4 times more manganese than cornmeal. While quinoa contains 0.631mg of manganese, cornmeal contains only 0.174mg.
  • Quinoa has a lower glycemic index (53) than cornmeal (68).

Quinoa, cooked and Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Cornmeal infographic
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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
7
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%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 23% 0.9% 13% 164% 25% 18% 42% 0.91% 23% 57%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +100%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +466.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +21.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +152.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +65.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +53.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +262.6%
Contains more IronIron +192.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +275%
~equal in Sodium ~7mg

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
2
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%
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% 3.7% 2.4% 0% 138% 88% 93% 14% 42% 0% 0% 157% 4.7%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +425%
Contains more CholineCholine +167.4%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +415%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +247.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +1105.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +48%
Contains more FolateFolate +397.6%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
3
4% 2% 21% 72%
Protein: 4.4 g
Fats: 1.92 g
Carbs: 21.3 g
Water: 71.61 g
Other: 0.77 g
7% 2% 79% 11%
Protein: 7.11 g
Fats: 1.75 g
Carbs: 79.45 g
Water: 11.18 g
Other: 0.51 g
Contains more WaterWater +540.5%
Contains more OtherOther +51%
Contains more ProteinProtein +61.6%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +273%
~equal in Fats ~1.75g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
15% 27% 58%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.22 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.39 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.828 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +35.4%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +30.2%
~equal in Saturated fat ~0.22g

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
0
100%
Starch: 17.63 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
98%
Starch: 73.3 g
Sucrose: 0.68 g
Glucose: 0.56 g
Fructose: 0.17 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.19 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +315.8%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +∞%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +∞%
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Galactose ~0g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Cornmeal DV% diff.
Folate 42µg 209µg 42%
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.551mg 37%
Iron 1.49mg 4.36mg 36%
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 4.968mg 28%
Starch 17.63g 73.3g 23%
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.382mg 21%
Manganese 0.631mg 0.174mg 20%
Carbs 21.3g 79.45g 19%
Selenium 2.8µg 10.5µg 14%
Copper 0.192mg 0.076mg 13%
Calories 120kcal 370kcal 13%
Magnesium 64mg 32mg 8%
Phosphorus 152mg 99mg 8%
Protein 4.4g 7.11g 5%
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.182mg 5%
Vitamin B5 0.24mg 5%
Fiber 2.8g 3.9g 4%
Zinc 1.09mg 0.66mg 4%
Choline 23mg 8.6mg 3%
Vitamin E 0.63mg 0.12mg 3%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.828g 2%
Calcium 17mg 3mg 1%
Potassium 172mg 142mg 1%
Vitamin A 0µg 11µg 1%
Fats 1.92g 1.75g 0%
Net carbs 18.5g 75.55g N/A
Sugar 0.87g 1.61g N/A
Sodium 7mg 7mg 0%
Saturated fat 0.231g 0.22g 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.528g 0.39g 0%
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.038mg 0%
Threonine 0.131mg 0.172mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.242mg 0%
Leucine 0.261mg 1.006mg 0%
Lysine 0.239mg 0.105mg 0%
Methionine 0.096mg 0.162mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.366mg 0%
Valine 0.185mg 0.337mg 0%
Histidine 0.127mg 0.172mg 0%
Fructose 0.17g 0%
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g 0g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Quinoa Cornmeal
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
11%
Quinoa
42%
Cornmeal
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
37%
Cornmeal

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.74g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in glycemic index (difference - 15)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $1.4)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.011g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sodium (7 mg)

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. Cornmeal - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168867/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.