Quinoa vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout.
- Alfalfa sprout has more pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 81% less calories than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to alfalfa sprouts for fat. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for alfalfa sprouts, 53:29:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 29% |
| Fat | 15% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 47% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and quinoa are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin A than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin K than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Alfalfa sprout has more pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Quinoa | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 36 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprout has 88% more calcium than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 55% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 118% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 87 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 6 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.175 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.234 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.234 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does alfalfa sprouts or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 80% less calories than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or quinoa better for protein?
Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.