Quinoa vs. Butterhead Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Butterhead Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
butterhead lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and butterhead lettuce:
- Butterhead lettuce has 8.5 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Butterhead lettuce has more pantothenic acid.
- Butterhead lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and potassium.
- Butterhead lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than butterhead lettuce.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and butterhead lettuce has 89% less calories than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 13 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 butterhead lettuce per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for butterhead lettuce, 33:57:11 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Butterhead Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 33% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 57% |
| Fat | 15% | 11% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Butterhead lettuce has 8.5 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 54% dietary fiber and 46% 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 155% more dietary fiber than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Butterhead lettuce and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 226% more protein than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both butterhead lettuce and quinoa are low in saturated fat - butterhead lettuce has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Butterhead lettuce has more Vitamin C than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Butterhead lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Butterhead lettuce and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Butterhead lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Butterhead lettuce has more pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and butterhead lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Butterhead Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.057 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.062 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.357 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.15 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.082 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 73 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Butterhead lettuce has 106% more calcium than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Butterhead lettuce and quinoa contain similar amounts of iron - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Butterhead lettuce is a great source of potassium and it has 38% more potassium than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 238mg 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 | Butterhead Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 1987 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 1223 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than butterhead lettuce per 100 grams. Both quinoa and butterhead lettuce contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Butterhead Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.083 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.083 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than butterhead lettuce per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Butterhead Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.034 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.034 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 Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Butterhead Lettuce 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 butterhead lettuce or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and butterhead lettuce has 90% less calories than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Is butterhead lettuce or quinoa better for protein?
Quinoa has 230% more protein than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Does butterhead lettuce or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, butterhead lettuce has 8.5 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.