Quinoa vs. Carrots
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Carrots
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
carrots
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and carrots:
- Both quinoa and carrots are high in dietary fiber.
- Carrot has 55% less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Carrot has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more folate.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and carrot has 66% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to carrots per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for carrots, 9:87:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 87% |
| Fat | 15% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Carrot has 55% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and carrots are high in dietary fiber. is very similar to quinoa for dietary fiber - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and carrots contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 373% more protein than carrot - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and carrots are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Carrot has more Vitamin C than quinoa - carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Carrot has more Vitamin K than quinoa - carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Carrot has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both quinoa and carrots contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.273 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.138 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Carrot has 94% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 397% more iron than carrot - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Carrot is an excellent source of potassium and it has 86% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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 | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 8285 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 256 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 3477 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than carrot per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.002 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.002 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than carrot per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.1 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.1 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 (%) |
Carrots 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 carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and carrot has 70% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Does quinoa or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, carrot has 60% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch.
Does quinoa or carrots contain more potassium?
Carrot is a rich source of potassium and it has 90% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.