Cornmeal vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Cornmeal and Cooked Quinoa


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cornmeal versus cooked quinoa (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cornmeal and quinoa:

  • Both cornmeal and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • Cornmeal has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Cornmeal is a great source of iron and protein.
  • Cornmeal is an excellent source of potassium.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than cornmeal.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cornmeal and quinoa is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cornmeal (Cornmeal, yellow (Navajo)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cornmeal src
Image of Quinoa src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cornmeal and quinoa are high in calories. Cornmeal has 220% more calories than quinoa - cornmeal has 384 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cornmeal is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to quinoa for fat. Cornmeal has a macronutrient ratio of 10:76:14 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cornmeal Quinoa
Protein 10% 15%
Carbohydrates 76% 71%
Fat 14% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cornmeal is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 71% less carbohydrates than cornmeal - cornmeal has 72.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in cornmeal are made of 85% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 2% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.

dietary fiber

Both cornmeal and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Cornmeal has 236% more dietary fiber than quinoa - cornmeal has 9.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Cornmeal and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - cornmeal has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Cornmeal is a great source of protein and it has 124% more protein than quinoa - cornmeal has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cornmeal and quinoa contain similar amounts of saturated fat - cornmeal has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Quinoa and cornmeal contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cornmeal does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Cornmeal and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cornmeal has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cornmeal and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cornmeal has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Cornmeal has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both cornmeal and quinoa contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.

Cornmeal Quinoa
Thiamin 0.3 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.093 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 2.47 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.595 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.59 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 34 UG 42 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa has 183% more calcium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Cornmeal is a great source of iron and it has 101% more iron than quinoa - cornmeal has 3mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Cornmeal is an excellent source of potassium and it has 87% more potassium than quinoa - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than cornmeal per 100 grams. Both cornmeal and quinoa contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cornmeal Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.06 G 0.085 G
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.06 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cornmeal has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.

Cornmeal Quinoa
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
linoleic acid 2.292 G 0.974 G
Total 2.292 G 0.977 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cornmeal or Quinoa .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cornmeal (Cornmeal, yellow (Navajo)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does cornmeal or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cornmeal and quinoa are high in calories. Cornmeal has 220% more calories than quinoa - cornmeal has 384 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Does cornmeal or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cornmeal is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than cornmeal - cornmeal has 72.9g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cornmeal are made of 90% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.

Does cornmeal or quinoa contain more potassium?
Cornmeal is a rich source of potassium and it has 90% more potassium than quinoa - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.