Quinoa vs. Beets
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Beets
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
beets
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and beets:
- Both quinoa and beets are high in dietary fiber.
- Beet has 55% less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Beet is an excellent source of potassium.
- Quinoa has 6.7 times less sugar than beet.
- Quinoa has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, beet contains more pantothenic acid and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Beets (Beets, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and beet has 64% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to beets for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for beets, 14:83:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 83% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beet has 55% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and beets are high in dietary fiber. is very similar to quinoa for dietary fiber - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has 6.7 times less sugar than beet - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 173% more protein than beet - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and beets are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Beet has more Vitamin C than quinoa - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Beets and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beets and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, beet contains more pantothenic acid and folate. Both quinoa and beets contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.334 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.155 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 109 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and beets contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 86% more iron than beet - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Beet is an excellent source of potassium and it has 89% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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, both quinoa and beets contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Quinoa | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 20 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than beet per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.005 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than beet per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.055 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.055 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 (%) |
Beets 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 quinoa or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and beet has 60% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.
Does quinoa or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beet has 60% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does quinoa or beets contain more potassium?
Beet is a rich source of potassium and it has 90% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.