Quinoa vs. Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and milk:
- Milk has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Milk is an excellent source of calcium.
- Quinoa has 4.4 times less saturated fat than milk.
- Quinoa has 4.8 times less sugar than milk.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Quinoa has signficantly more iron than milk.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and milk has 58% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to milk per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 38% |
| Fat | 15% | 35% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Milk has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in milk comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than milk - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa has 4.8 times less sugar than milk - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa and milk contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 4.4 times less saturated fat than milk - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and quinoa are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and quinoa are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Milk has more Vitamin A than quinoa - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than quinoa - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Milk and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk 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, milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and milk contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Quinoa | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.092 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.356 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.53 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 606% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has signficantly more iron than milk - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa and milk contain similar amounts of potassium - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg 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 milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Quinoa | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 4 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than milk per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.008 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.062 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 0.066 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 (%) |
Milk 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 milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and milk has 60% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.
Does quinoa or milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, milk has 3.4 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in milk comprise of 100% sugar.
Does quinoa or milk contain more calcium?
Milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 610% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.