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Quinoa vs. Asparagus — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are quinoa and asparagus different?

  • Quinoa is richer in manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium, while asparagus is higher in vitamin K, vitamin A, iron, and vitamin C.
  • Asparagus covers your daily need for vitamin K, 35% more than quinoa.
  • Quinoa contains 5 times more magnesium than asparagus. Quinoa contains 64mg of magnesium, while asparagus contains 14mg.
  • Quinoa has a higher glycemic index (53) than asparagus (32).

Quinoa, cooked and Asparagus, raw types were used in this article.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Asparagus 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
5
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 10% 7.2% 18% 80% 63% 15% 22% 0.26% 21% 13%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +357.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +101.9%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +192.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +299.4%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +21.7%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +41.2%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +17.4%
Contains more IronIron +43.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -71.4%
~equal in Copper ~0.189mg

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 19% 13% 23% 0% 36% 33% 18% 16% 21% 0% 104% 39% 8.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +35.2%
Contains more CholineCholine +43.8%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +79.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +33.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +28.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +137.4%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +23.8%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
4
4% 2% 21% 72%
Protein: 4.4 g
Fats: 1.92 g
Carbs: 21.3 g
Water: 71.61 g
Other: 0.77 g
2% 4% 93%
Protein: 2.2 g
Fats: 0.12 g
Carbs: 3.88 g
Water: 93.22 g
Other: 0.58 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +100%
Contains more FatsFats +1500%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +449%
Contains more OtherOther +32.8%
Contains more WaterWater +30.2%

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
44% 56%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.04 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.05 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +∞%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2056%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -82.7%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Quinoa
1
100%
Starch: 17.63 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
12% 35% 53%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 0.23 g
Glucose: 0.65 g
Fructose: 1 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +∞%
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~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 Asparagus
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Asparagus DV% diff.
Vitamin K 0µg 41.6µg 35%
Manganese 0.631mg 0.158mg 21%
Phosphorus 152mg 52mg 14%
Magnesium 64mg 14mg 12%
Iron 1.49mg 2.14mg 8%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.05g 7%
Starch 17.63g 7%
Vitamin C 0mg 5.6mg 6%
Carbs 21.3g 3.88g 6%
Calories 120kcal 20kcal 5%
Zinc 1.09mg 0.54mg 5%
Vitamin B5 0.274mg 5%
Protein 4.4g 2.2g 4%
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 0.978mg 4%
Vitamin A 0µg 38µg 4%
Folate 42µg 52µg 3%
Vitamin E 0.63mg 1.13mg 3%
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.143mg 3%
Fiber 2.8g 2.1g 3%
Fats 1.92g 0.12g 3%
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.141mg 2%
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.091mg 2%
Monounsaturated fat 0.528g 0g 1%
Fructose 1g 1%
Selenium 2.8µg 2.3µg 1%
Potassium 172mg 202mg 1%
Calcium 17mg 24mg 1%
Choline 23mg 16mg 1%
Saturated fat 0.231g 0.04g 1%
Net carbs 18.5g 1.78g N/A
Sugar 0.87g 1.88g N/A
Copper 0.192mg 0.189mg 0%
Sodium 7mg 2mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.027mg 0%
Threonine 0.131mg 0.084mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.075mg 0%
Leucine 0.261mg 0.128mg 0%
Lysine 0.239mg 0.104mg 0%
Methionine 0.096mg 0.031mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.075mg 0%
Valine 0.185mg 0.115mg 0%
Histidine 0.127mg 0.049mg 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 Asparagus
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
25%
Asparagus
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
25%
Asparagus

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.01g)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $4)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Sodium?
Asparagus
Asparagus contains less Sodium (difference - 5mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Asparagus
Asparagus is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.191g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Asparagus
Asparagus is lower in glycemic index (difference - 21)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Asparagus
Asparagus is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 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. Asparagus - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168389/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.