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Quinoa vs. Spinach — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between Quinoa and Spinach

  • Quinoa is higher in Phosphorus, yet Spinach is higher in Vitamin K, Vitamin A RAE, Iron, Folate, Manganese, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin E .
  • Spinach covers your daily Vitamin K needs 411% more than Quinoa.
  • Quinoa contains 3 times more Phosphorus than Spinach. While Quinoa contains 152mg of Phosphorus, Spinach contains only 56mg.

Food varieties used in this article are Quinoa, cooked and Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Spinach 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
4
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 62% 41% 41% 134% 58% 21% 24% 9.1% 122% 8.2%
Contains more ZincZinc +43.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +171.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium -90%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +86.7%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +35.9%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +700%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +170.9%
Contains more IronIron +139.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +48.2%
~equal in Copper ~0.174mg

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% 0.3% 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 33% 629% 42% 0% 24% 54% 9.2% 8.7% 56% 0% 1234% 110% 11%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +12.6%
Contains more CholineCholine +16.8%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +209520%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +230.2%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +114.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +18.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +96.7%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +247.6%
~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
3% 4% 91% 2%
Protein: 2.97 g
Fats: 0.26 g
Carbs: 3.75 g
Water: 91.21 g
Other: 1.81 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +48.1%
Contains more FatsFats +638.5%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +468%
Contains more WaterWater +27.4%
Contains more OtherOther +135.1%

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
27% 4% 69%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.043 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.006 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.109 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +8700%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +889%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -81.4%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Spinach Opinion
Calories 120kcal 23kcal Quinoa
Protein 4.4g 2.97g Quinoa
Fats 1.92g 0.26g Quinoa
Vitamin C 0mg 9.8mg Spinach
Net carbs 18.5g 1.35g Quinoa
Carbs 21.3g 3.75g Quinoa
Magnesium 64mg 87mg Spinach
Calcium 17mg 136mg Spinach
Potassium 172mg 466mg Spinach
Iron 1.49mg 3.57mg Spinach
Sugar 0.87g 0.43g Spinach
Fiber 2.8g 2.4g Quinoa
Copper 0.192mg 0.174mg Quinoa
Zinc 1.09mg 0.76mg Quinoa
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Phosphorus 152mg 56mg Quinoa
Sodium 7mg 70mg Quinoa
Vitamin A 5IU 10481IU Spinach
Vitamin A RAE 0µg 524µg Spinach
Vitamin E 0.63mg 2.08mg Spinach
Manganese 0.631mg 0.935mg Spinach
Selenium 2.8µg 1.5µg Quinoa
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.095mg Quinoa
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.236mg Spinach
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 0.49mg Spinach
Vitamin B5 0.145mg Spinach
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.242mg Spinach
Vitamin K 0µg 493.6µg Spinach
Folate 42µg 146µg Spinach
Choline 23mg 19.7mg Quinoa
Saturated Fat 0.231g 0.043g Spinach
Monounsaturated Fat 0.528g 0.006g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.109g Quinoa
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.04mg Quinoa
Threonine 0.131mg 0.127mg Quinoa
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.152mg Quinoa
Leucine 0.261mg 0.231mg Quinoa
Lysine 0.239mg 0.182mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.096mg 0.055mg Quinoa
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.134mg Quinoa
Valine 0.185mg 0.168mg Quinoa
Histidine 0.127mg 0.066mg 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 Spinach
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
170%
Spinach
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
52%
Spinach

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Spinach
Spinach is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.44g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Spinach
Spinach is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.188g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Spinach
Spinach is lower in glycemic index (difference - 21)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Spinach
Spinach is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 63mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
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. Spinach - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168463/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.