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Quinoa vs. Potato — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are quinoa and potatoes different?

  • Quinoa is higher in manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, and folate; however, potatoes are richer in vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin C for potatoes is 22% higher.
  • Quinoa contains 4 times more zinc than potatoes. While quinoa contains 1.09mg of zinc, potatoes contain only 0.3mg.
  • Quinoa has a lower glycemic index (53) than potatoes (86).

Quinoa, cooked and Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Potato 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
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%
Potato
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 16% 3.6% 38% 30% 37% 8.2% 24% 0.78% 26% 2.2%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +178.3%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +41.7%
Contains more IronIron +84%
Contains more CopperCopper +74.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +263.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +166.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +215.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +600%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +147.1%
Contains less SodiumSodium -14.3%

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
5
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%
Potato
5
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 66% 0% 0.2% 0% 20% 7.4% 20% 18% 69% 0% 5% 11% 6.6%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +6200%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +32.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +243.8%
Contains more FolateFolate +180%
Contains more CholineCholine +90.1%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +157.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +142.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~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
Potato
2
2% 17% 79%
Protein: 2.05 g
Fats: 0.09 g
Carbs: 17.49 g
Water: 79.25 g
Other: 1.12 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +114.6%
Contains more FatsFats +2033.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +21.8%
Contains more WaterWater +10.7%
Contains more OtherOther +45.5%

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
Potato
1
36% 3% 61%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.025 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.002 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.042 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +26300%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2466.7%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -89.2%

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
Potato
3
95% 2%
Starch: 15.29 g
Sucrose: 0.17 g
Glucose: 0.31 g
Fructose: 0.26 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +15.3%
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 Potato
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Potato DV% diff.
Vitamin C 0mg 19.7mg 22%
Manganese 0.631mg 0.2mg 19%
Phosphorus 152mg 57mg 14%
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.298mg 13%
Magnesium 64mg 23mg 10%
Iron 1.49mg 0.81mg 9%
Copper 0.192mg 0.11mg 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.042g 7%
Folate 42µg 15µg 7%
Potassium 172mg 425mg 7%
Zinc 1.09mg 0.3mg 7%
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.032mg 6%
Vitamin B5 0.295mg 6%
Protein 4.4g 2.05g 5%
Selenium 2.8µg 0.4µg 4%
Vitamin E 0.63mg 0.01mg 4%
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 1.061mg 4%
Fiber 2.8g 2.1g 3%
Fats 1.92g 0.09g 3%
Choline 23mg 12.1mg 2%
Vitamin K 0µg 2µg 2%
Calories 120kcal 77kcal 2%
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.081mg 2%
Starch 17.63g 15.29g 1%
Calcium 17mg 12mg 1%
Carbs 21.3g 17.49g 1%
Saturated fat 0.231g 0.025g 1%
Monounsaturated fat 0.528g 0.002g 1%
Net carbs 18.5g 15.39g N/A
Sugar 0.87g 0.82g N/A
Sodium 7mg 6mg 0%
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.021mg 0%
Threonine 0.131mg 0.067mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.066mg 0%
Leucine 0.261mg 0.098mg 0%
Lysine 0.239mg 0.107mg 0%
Methionine 0.096mg 0.032mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.081mg 0%
Valine 0.185mg 0.103mg 0%
Histidine 0.127mg 0.035mg 0%
Fructose 0.26g 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 Potato
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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
17%
Potato
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
19%
Potato

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in glycemic index (difference - 33)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Potato
Potato is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.05g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Potato
Potato contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Potato
Potato is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.206g)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
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
  2. Potato - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170026/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.