Quinoa vs. Greek Yogurt

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Greek Yogurt

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

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

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

  • Greek yogurt has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
  • Greek yogurt has signficantly more Vitamin A than quinoa.
  • Greek yogurt is a great source of protein.
  • Greek yogurt is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, greek yogurt contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
  • Quinoa has signficantly more iron than greek yogurt.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and greek yogurt 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: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Quinoa src
Image of Greek Yogurt src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Quinoa is high in calories and greek yogurt has 39% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 73 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to greek yogurt per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for greek yogurt, 55:22:24 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Greek Yogurt
Protein 15% 55%
Carbohydrates 71% 22%
Fat 15% 24%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Greek yogurt has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 3.9g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in greek yogurt comprise of 100% sugar.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than greek yogurt - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and greek yogurt does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Quinoa and greek yogurt contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 3.6g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 126% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 10g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa and greek yogurt contain similar amounts of saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 1.2g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both greek yogurt and quinoa are low in trans fat - greek yogurt has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Quinoa has less cholesterol than greek yogurt - greek yogurt has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Greek yogurt has more Vitamin C than quinoa - greek yogurt has 0.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Greek yogurt has signficantly more Vitamin A than quinoa - greek yogurt has 90ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Quinoa and greek yogurt contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Greek yogurt and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - greek yogurt has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, greek yogurt contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.

Quinoa Greek Yogurt
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.044 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.233 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 0.197 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.47 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.055 MG
Folate 42 UG 12 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.52 UG

Minerals

calcium

Greek yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and it has 576% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has signficantly more iron than greek yogurt - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 0.04mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa and greek yogurt contain similar amounts of potassium - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 141mg 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 greek yogurt contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Quinoa Greek Yogurt
beta-carotene 3 UG 6 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG 1 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than greek yogurt per 100 grams.

Quinoa Greek Yogurt
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.007 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.007 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Greek Yogurt
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.065 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.002 G
Total 0.974 G 0.067 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 Greek Yogurt (Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or greek yogurt contain more calories in 100 grams?
Quinoa is high in calories and greek yogurt has 40% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and greek yogurt has 73 calories.

Is quinoa or greek yogurt better for protein?
Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and it has 130% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and greek yogurt has 10g of protein.

Does quinoa or greek yogurt have more carbohydrates?
By weight, greek yogurt has 4.4 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and greek yogurt has 3.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in greek yogurt comprise of 100% sugar.

Does quinoa or greek yogurt contain more calcium?
Greek yogurt is a rich source of calcium and it has 580% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and greek yogurt has 115mg of calcium.