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Quinoa vs. Wheat — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between Quinoa and Wheat?

  • Quinoa is richer in Folate, Vitamin B2, and Polyunsaturated fat, while Wheat is higher in Selenium, Manganese, Vitamin B3, Zinc, and Fiber.
  • Wheat's daily need coverage for Selenium is 53% higher.
  • Wheat has 4 times less Polyunsaturated fat than Quinoa. Quinoa has 1.078g of Polyunsaturated fat, while Wheat has 0.243g.
  • Quinoa is lower in Sugar.

We used Quinoa, cooked and Wheat, KAMUT khorasan, cooked types in this comparison.

Infographic

Quinoa vs Wheat 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
3
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%
Wheat
4
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 34% 2.7% 14% 66% 69% 50% 63% 1% 134% 174%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +33.3%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +88.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -12.5%
Contains more IronIron +18.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +68.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +63.2%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +1039.3%
~equal in Potassium ~164mg
~equal in Copper ~0.207mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~147mg

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%
Wheat
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% 0.24% 4.8% 0% 24% 6.9% 43% 0% 16% 0% 0% 8.3% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +25%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +162.5%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +12.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +266.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +75.7%
Contains more FolateFolate +281.8%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +459.5%
~equal in Vitamin C ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg

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
Wheat
2
6% 28% 65%
Protein: 5.71 g
Fats: 0.83 g
Carbs: 27.6 g
Water: 65.18 g
Other: 0.68 g
Contains more FatsFats +131.3%
Contains more OtherOther +13.2%
Contains more ProteinProtein +29.8%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +29.6%
~equal in Water ~65.18g

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
Wheat
1
19% 21% 60%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.084 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.243 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +528.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +343.6%
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 Wheat
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Quinoa Wheat Opinion
Calories 120kcal 132kcal Wheat
Protein 4.4g 5.71g Wheat
Fats 1.92g 0.83g Quinoa
Net carbs 18.5g 23.3g Wheat
Carbs 21.3g 27.6g Wheat
Magnesium 64mg 48mg Quinoa
Calcium 17mg 9mg Quinoa
Potassium 172mg 164mg Quinoa
Iron 1.49mg 1.76mg Wheat
Sugar 0.87g 3.07g Quinoa
Fiber 2.8g 4.3g Wheat
Copper 0.192mg 0.207mg Wheat
Zinc 1.09mg 1.84mg Wheat
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Phosphorus 152mg 147mg Quinoa
Sodium 7mg 8mg Quinoa
Vitamin A 5IU 4IU Quinoa
Vitamin E 0.63mg 0.24mg Quinoa
Manganese 0.631mg 1.03mg Wheat
Selenium 2.8µg 31.9µg Wheat
Vitamin B1 0.107mg 0.095mg Quinoa
Vitamin B2 0.11mg 0.03mg Quinoa
Vitamin B3 0.412mg 2.305mg Wheat
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.07mg Quinoa
Folate 42µg 11µg Quinoa
Trans Fat 0.002g Quinoa
Choline 23mg Quinoa
Saturated Fat 0.231g 0.077g Wheat
Monounsaturated Fat 0.528g 0.084g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 1.078g 0.243g Quinoa
Tryptophan 0.052mg 0.051mg Quinoa
Threonine 0.131mg 0.172mg Wheat
Isoleucine 0.157mg 0.22mg Wheat
Leucine 0.261mg 0.432mg Wheat
Lysine 0.239mg 0.161mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.096mg 0.097mg Wheat
Phenylalanine 0.185mg 0.3mg Wheat
Valine 0.185mg 0.267mg Wheat
Histidine 0.127mg 0.147mg Wheat
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Quinoa Wheat
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
8%
Wheat
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
61%
Wheat

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.154g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in glycemic index (difference - 3)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.2g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $0.4)
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)
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. Wheat - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169744/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.