Quinoa vs. Asparagus
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Asparagus
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
asparagus
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and asparagus:
- Both asparagus and quinoa are high in dietary fiber.
- Asparagus has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Asparagus has more niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Asparagus is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and asparagus has 83% less calories than quinoa - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to asparagus per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for asparagus, 34:61:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 61% |
| Fat | 15% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both asparagus and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has 33% more dietary fiber than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 100% more protein than asparagus - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and quinoa are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus has more Vitamin C than quinoa - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Asparagus has more Vitamin A than quinoa - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has more Vitamin K than quinoa - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and asparagus contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.143 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.141 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.978 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.274 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 52 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus and quinoa contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 44% more iron than quinoa - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus and quinoa contain similar amounts of potassium - asparagus has 202mg 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,
| Quinoa | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 449 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 710 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 9 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.01 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.04 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.04 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.
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Asparagus 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 asparagus or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and asparagus has 80% less calories than quinoa - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Is asparagus or quinoa better for protein?
Quinoa has 100% more protein than asparagus - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Does asparagus or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus has 4.4 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.