Quinoa vs. Flaxseeds
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Flaxseeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
flaxseeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and flaxseeds:
- Both quinoa and flaxseeds are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
- Quinoa has 14.8 times less saturated fat than flaxseed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and flaxseeds are high in calories. Flaxseed has 345% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and flaxseed has 534 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to flaxseeds for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for flaxseeds, 13:21:66 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 21% |
| Fat | 15% | 66% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa has 26% less carbohydrates than flaxseed - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in flaxseeds comprise of 95% dietary fiber and 5% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and flaxseeds are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 875% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Flaxseed is an excellent source of protein and it has 316% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and flaxseed has 18.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 14.8 times less saturated fat than flaxseed - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Flaxseeds and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Quinoa and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Flaxseeds and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and flaxseeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Quinoa | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 1.644 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.161 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 3.08 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.985 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.473 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 87 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
iron
Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and it has 285% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
potassium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 373% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than flaxseed per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 22.813 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 22.813 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 5.903 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.007 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 5.91 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 (%) |
Flaxseeds g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 flaxseeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and flaxseeds are high in calories. Flaxseed has 350% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and flaxseed has 534 calories.
Does quinoa or flaxseeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa has 30% fewer carbohydrates than flaxseed - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in flaxseeds comprise of 100% dietary fiber and 10% sugar.
Does quinoa or flaxseeds contain more calcium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
Does quinoa or flaxseeds contain more iron?
Flaxseed is an abundant source of iron and it has 290% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
Does quinoa or flaxseeds contain more potassium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of potassium and it has 370% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.