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  6. Chia seeds vs. Quinoa

Chia seeds vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between Chia seeds and Quinoa

  • Quinoa has less Fiber, Phosphorus, Selenium, Manganese, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Vitamin B3, and Vitamin B1 than Chia seeds.
  • Chia seeds covers your daily need of Fiber 126% more than Quinoa.
  • Chia seeds has 37 times more Calcium than Quinoa. While Chia seeds has 631mg of Calcium, Quinoa has only 17mg.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Seeds, chia seeds, dried and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Chia seeds 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 239% 189% 36% 290% 308% 125% 369% 2.1% 355% 301%
Quinoa
Quinoa
1
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 more MagnesiumMagnesium +423.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +3611.8%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +136.6%
Contains more IronIron +418.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +381.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +320.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +465.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +331.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +1871.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium -56.3%

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.
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 5.3% 3.2% 10% 0% 155% 39% 166% 0% 0% 0% 0% 37% 0%
Quinoa
Quinoa
3
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 CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +980%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +479.4%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +54.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +2043.2%
Contains more FolateFolate +16.7%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +26%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
17% 31% 42% 6% 5%
Protein: 16.54 g
Fats: 30.74 g
Carbs: 42.12 g
Water: 5.8 g
Other: 4.8 g
Quinoa
Quinoa
1
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 ProteinProtein +275.9%
Contains more FatsFats +1501%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +97.7%
Contains more OtherOther +523.4%
Contains more WaterWater +1134.7%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
11% 8% 81%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.33 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 2.309 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 23.665 g
Quinoa
Quinoa
1
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 more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +337.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2095.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -93.1%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Chia seeds Quinoa Opinion
Calories 486kcal 120kcal Chia seeds
Protein 16.54g 4.4g Chia seeds
Fats 30.74g 1.92g Chia seeds
Vitamin C 1.6mg 0mg Chia seeds
Net carbs 7.72g 18.5g Quinoa
Carbs 42.12g 21.3g Chia seeds
Magnesium 335mg 64mg Chia seeds
Calcium 631mg 17mg Chia seeds
Potassium 407mg 172mg Chia seeds
Iron 7.72mg 1.49mg Chia seeds
Sugar 0.87g Chia seeds
Fiber 34.4g 2.8g Chia seeds
Copper 0.924mg 0.192mg Chia seeds
Zinc 4.58mg 1.09mg Chia seeds
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Phosphorus 860mg 152mg Chia seeds
Sodium 16mg 7mg Quinoa
Vitamin A 54IU 5IU Chia seeds
Vitamin E 0.5mg 0.63mg Quinoa
Manganese 2.723mg 0.631mg Chia seeds
Selenium 55.2µg 2.8µg Chia seeds
Vitamin B1 0.62mg 0.107mg Chia seeds
Vitamin B2 0.17mg 0.11mg Chia seeds
Vitamin B3 8.83mg 0.412mg Chia seeds
Vitamin B6 0.123mg Quinoa
Folate 49µg 42µg Chia seeds
Trans Fat 0.14g Quinoa
Choline 23mg Quinoa
Saturated Fat 3.33g 0.231g Quinoa
Monounsaturated Fat 2.309g 0.528g Chia seeds
Polyunsaturated fat 23.665g 1.078g Chia seeds
Tryptophan 0.436mg 0.052mg Chia seeds
Threonine 0.709mg 0.131mg Chia seeds
Isoleucine 0.801mg 0.157mg Chia seeds
Leucine 1.371mg 0.261mg Chia seeds
Lysine 0.97mg 0.239mg Chia seeds
Methionine 0.588mg 0.096mg Chia seeds
Phenylalanine 1.016mg 0.185mg Chia seeds
Valine 0.95mg 0.185mg Chia seeds
Histidine 0.531mg 0.127mg Chia seeds
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g Quinoa
Omega-3 - ALA 17.83g Chia seeds
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 5.835g Chia seeds

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Chia seeds Quinoa
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
32%
Chia seeds
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
221%
Chia seeds
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 9mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 3.099g)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.87g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in glycemic index (difference - 38)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
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. Chia seeds - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170554/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.