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Quinoa vs. Rice — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Important differences between Quinoa and Rice

  • Quinoa has more Iron, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium, Folate, Fiber, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B1, and Manganese, however, Rice has more Selenium.
  • Quinoa's daily need coverage for Iron is 16% more.
  • Quinoa has 14 times more Folate than Rice. Quinoa has 42µg of Folate, while Rice has 3µg.

The food varieties used in the comparison are Quinoa, cooked and Rice, white, long-grain, regular, unenriched, cooked without salt.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Rice 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%
Rice
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 8.6% 3% 3.1% 7.5% 23% 13% 18% 0.13% 62% 41%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +433.3%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +70%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +391.4%
Contains more IronIron +645%
Contains more CopperCopper +178.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +122.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +253.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +33.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -85.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +167.9%

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
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% 0.3% 13% 0% 27% 25% 7.7% 0% 28% 0% 0% 32% 13%
Rice
1
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% 0.8% 0% 5% 3% 7.5% 23% 21% 0% 0% 2.3% 1.1%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +1475%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +435%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +746.2%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +32.3%
Contains more FolateFolate +1300%
Contains more CholineCholine +995.2%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0.4mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~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
Rice
1
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +63.6%
Contains more FatsFats +585.7%
Contains more OtherOther +83.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +32.3%
~equal in Water ~68.44g

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
Rice
1
32% 37% 32%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.076 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +500%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1318.4%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -66.7%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Rice Opinion
Calories 120kcal 130kcal Rice
Protein 4.4g 2.69g Quinoa
Fats 1.92g 0.28g Quinoa
Net carbs 18.5g 27.77g Rice
Carbs 21.3g 28.17g Rice
Magnesium 64mg 12mg Quinoa
Calcium 17mg 10mg Quinoa
Potassium 172mg 35mg Quinoa
Iron 1.49mg 0.2mg Quinoa
Sugar 0.87g 0.05g Rice
Fiber 2.8g 0.4g Quinoa
Copper 0.192mg 0.069mg Quinoa
Zinc 1.09mg 0.49mg Quinoa
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Phosphorus 152mg 43mg Quinoa
Sodium 7mg 1mg Rice
Vitamin A 5IU 0IU Quinoa
Vitamin E 0.63mg 0.04mg Quinoa
Manganese 0.631mg 0.472mg Quinoa
Selenium 2.8µg 7.5µg Rice
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.02mg Quinoa
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.013mg Quinoa
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 0.4mg Quinoa
Vitamin B5 0.39mg Rice
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.093mg Quinoa
Folate 42µg 3µg Quinoa
Choline 23mg 2.1mg Quinoa
Saturated Fat 0.231g 0.077g Rice
Monounsaturated Fat 0.528g 0.088g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.076g Quinoa
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.031mg Quinoa
Threonine 0.131mg 0.096mg Quinoa
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.116mg Quinoa
Leucine 0.261mg 0.222mg Quinoa
Lysine 0.239mg 0.097mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.096mg 0.063mg Quinoa
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.144mg Quinoa
Valine 0.185mg 0.164mg Quinoa
Histidine 0.127mg 0.063mg Quinoa
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g 0g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Quinoa Rice
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
5%
Rice
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
18%
Rice

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Rice
Rice is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.82g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 6mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Rice
Rice is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.154g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in glycemic index (difference - 7)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $1)
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 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. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169757/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.