Quinoa vs. Lima Beans

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Lima Beans


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

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

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

  • Both lima beans and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than lima bean.
  • Lima bean has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than lima bean.
  • Lima bean has more niacin and pantothenic acid.
  • Lima bean is an excellent source of Vitamin C, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and lima beans 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 Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Lima Beans src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both lima beans and quinoa are high in calories. Lima bean is very similar to lima bean for calories - lima bean has 113 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to lima beans for carbs. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for lima beans, 24:70:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Lima Beans
Protein 15% 24%
Carbohydrates 71% 70%
Fat 15% 7%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lima beans and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - lima bean has 20.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both lima beans and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Lima bean has 75% more dietary fiber than quinoa - lima bean has 4.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lima beans and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - lima bean has 1.5g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lima bean has 55% more protein than quinoa - lima bean has 6.8g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lima beans and quinoa are low in saturated fat - lima bean has 0.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Lima bean is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - lima bean has 23.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Lima bean has more Vitamin A than quinoa - lima bean has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Lima beans and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lima bean has 0.32mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Lima bean has more Vitamin K than quinoa - lima bean has 5.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Lima bean has more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and lima beans contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Quinoa Lima Beans
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.217 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.103 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 1.474 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.247 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.204 MG
Folate 42 UG 34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lima bean has 100% more calcium than quinoa - lima bean has 34mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Lima bean is an excellent source of iron and it has 111% more iron than quinoa - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Lima bean is an excellent source of potassium and it has 172% more potassium than quinoa - lima bean has 467mg 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, lima bean has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than lima bean per 100 grams.

Quinoa Lima Beans
beta-carotene 3 UG 126 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Lima Beans
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.136 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.136 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Lima Beans
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.283 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.283 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 Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) .

Cooked Quinoa 185g

( cup )
Daily Values (%)

Lima Beans 156g

( cup )
222KCAL 11%
26% calories
176KCAL 9%
39G 16%
26% carbohydrates
31G 13%
5.2G 21%
dietary fiber 46%
7.6G 31%
1.6G sugar 44% 2.3G
3.6G 6%
177% total fat
1.3G 2%
0.43G 2%
39% saturated fat
0.31G 2%
0.98G >999% monounsaturated fat 0.08G
2G 208% polyunsaturated fat 0.65G
13MG 1%
8% sodium
12MG 1%
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin A >999%
16UG 2%
Vitamin C >999%
37MG 49%
31MG 3%
calcium 71%
53MG 5%
2.8MG 15%
iron 75%
4.9MG 27%
118MG 38%
31% magnesium
90MG 29%
318MG 14%
potassium 129%
729MG 32%
0.2MG 18%
thiamin (Vit B1) 70%
0.34MG 31%
0.2MG 19%
25% riboflavin (Vit B2)
0.16MG 15%
0.76MG 5%
niacin (Vit B3) 203%
2.3MG 16%
0.23MG 18%
Vitamin B6 39%
0.32MG 25%
pantothenic acid (Vit B5) >999%
0.39MG 8%
78UG 19%
47% folate (Vit B9)
53UG 13%
1.2MG 8%
140% Vitamin E
0.5MG 3%
Vitamin K >999%
8.7UG 10%
8.1G 16%
protein 36%
11G 21%
43MG 10%
choline 44%
62MG 15%
0.36MG 30%
copper 39%
0.5MG 41%
1.2MG 65%
manganese 58%
1.9MG 105%
281MG 40%
33% phosphorus
212MG 30%
5.2UG 9%
86% selenium
2.8UG 5%
2MG 25%
67% zinc
1.2MG 15%
132G 20% Water 110G
33G >999% Starch


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does lima beans or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both lima beans and quinoa are high in calories. Lima bean is quite similar to lima bean for calories - lima bean has 113 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Does lima beans or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lima beans and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - lima bean has 20.2g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

Does lima beans or quinoa contain more iron?
Lima bean is an abundant source of iron and it has 110% more iron than quinoa - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron in 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

Does lima beans or quinoa contain more potassium?
Lima bean is a rich source of potassium and it has 170% more potassium than quinoa - lima bean has 467mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.

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