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  6. Wheat vs. Quinoa

Wheat vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between Wheat and Quinoa

  • Quinoa has less Selenium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Copper, Vitamin B3, Zinc, Vitamin B1, Iron, Vitamin B6, and Magnesium than Wheat .
  • Wheat covers your daily need of Selenium 157% more than Quinoa.
  • Wheat has 16 times more Vitamin B3 than Quinoa. While Wheat has 6.738mg of Vitamin B3, Quinoa has only 0.412mg.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Wheat, durum and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Wheat 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.
Wheat
Wheat
10
:
0
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Calcium +100%
Contains more Iron +136.2%
Contains more Magnesium +125%
Contains more Phosphorus +234.2%
Contains more Potassium +150.6%
Contains less Sodium -71.4%
Contains more Zinc +281.7%
Contains more Copper +188%
Contains more Manganese +377.3%
Contains more Selenium +3092.9%
Wheat
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 11% 132% 103% 218% 39% 1% 114% 185% 393% 488%
Quinoa
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 56% 46% 66% 16% 1% 30% 64% 83% 16%
Contains more Calcium +100%
Contains more Iron +136.2%
Contains more Magnesium +125%
Contains more Phosphorus +234.2%
Contains more Potassium +150.6%
Contains less Sodium -71.4%
Contains more Zinc +281.7%
Contains more Copper +188%
Contains more Manganese +377.3%
Contains more Selenium +3092.9%

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.
Wheat
Wheat
6
:
3
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Vitamin B1 +291.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +1535.4%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +240.7%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B2 - 0.11
Equal in Folate - 42
Wheat
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 0% 0% 0% 105% 28% 127% 57% 97% 33% 0% 0%
Quinoa
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 13% 0% 0% 27% 26% 8% 0% 29% 32% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +291.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +1535.4%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +240.7%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B2 - 0.11
Equal in Folate - 42

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Wheat
Wheat
4
:
1
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Protein +210.9%
Contains more Fats +28.6%
Contains more Carbs +233.9%
Contains more Other +131.2%
Contains more Water +554.6%
Wheat
14% 2% 71% 11% 2%
Protein: 13.68 g
Fats: 2.47 g
Carbs: 71.13 g
Water: 10.94 g
Other: 1.78 g
Quinoa
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 Protein +210.9%
Contains more Fats +28.6%
Contains more Carbs +233.9%
Contains more Other +131.2%
Contains more Water +554.6%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Wheat
Wheat
0
:
3
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains less Saturated Fat -49.1%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +53.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +10.2%
Wheat
26% 19% 55%
Saturated Fat: 0.454 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.344 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.978 g
Quinoa
13% 29% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.231 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.078 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -49.1%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +53.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +10.2%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Wheat Quinoa Opinion
Net carbs 71.13g 18.5g Wheat
Protein 13.68g 4.4g Wheat
Fats 2.47g 1.92g Wheat
Carbs 71.13g 21.3g Wheat
Calories 339kcal 120kcal Wheat
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Sugar 0.87g Wheat
Fiber 2.8g Quinoa
Calcium 34mg 17mg Wheat
Iron 3.52mg 1.49mg Wheat
Magnesium 144mg 64mg Wheat
Phosphorus 508mg 152mg Wheat
Potassium 431mg 172mg Wheat
Sodium 2mg 7mg Wheat
Zinc 4.16mg 1.09mg Wheat
Copper 0.553mg 0.192mg Wheat
Manganese 3.012mg 0.631mg Wheat
Selenium 89.4µg 2.8µg Wheat
Vitamin A 0IU 5IU Quinoa
Vitamin E 0.63mg Quinoa
Vitamin B1 0.419mg 0.107mg Wheat
Vitamin B2 0.121mg 0.11mg Wheat
Vitamin B3 6.738mg 0.412mg Wheat
Vitamin B5 0.935mg Wheat
Vitamin B6 0.419mg 0.123mg Wheat
Folate 43µg 42µg Wheat
Tryptophan 0.176mg 0.052mg Wheat
Threonine 0.366mg 0.131mg Wheat
Isoleucine 0.533mg 0.157mg Wheat
Leucine 0.934mg 0.261mg Wheat
Lysine 0.303mg 0.239mg Wheat
Methionine 0.221mg 0.096mg Wheat
Phenylalanine 0.681mg 0.185mg Wheat
Valine 0.594mg 0.185mg Wheat
Histidine 0.322mg 0.127mg Wheat
Saturated Fat 0.454g 0.231g Quinoa
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g Quinoa
Monounsaturated Fat 0.344g 0.528g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 0.978g 1.078g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Wheat Quinoa
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories 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
37%
Wheat
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
168%
Wheat
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.87g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Wheat
Wheat contains less Sodium (difference - 5mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in glycemic index (difference - 3)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Wheat
Wheat is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.223g)
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $0.4)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
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. Wheat - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169721/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.