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Rice vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Important differences between Rice and Quinoa

  • Rice has more Selenium, however, Quinoa has more Iron, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium, Folate, Fiber, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B1, and Manganese.
  • Quinoa's daily need coverage for Iron is 16% more.
  • Rice has 3 times more Selenium than Quinoa. Rice has 7.5µg of Selenium, while Quinoa has 2.8µg.

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

Infographic

Rice vs Quinoa 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.
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%
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%
Contains less SodiumSodium -85.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +167.9%
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%

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.
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%
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%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
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 ~0.412mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
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
Contains more CarbsCarbs +32.3%
Contains more ProteinProtein +63.6%
Contains more FatsFats +585.7%
Contains more OtherOther +83.3%
~equal in Water ~71.61g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
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
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -66.7%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +500%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1318.4%

Comparison summary table

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

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Rice Quinoa
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
5%
Rice
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
18%
Rice
38%
Quinoa

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. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169757/nutrients
  2. Quinoa - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168917/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.