Oats vs. Quinoa
Nutrition comparison of Oats and Cooked Quinoa
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
oats
versus
cooked
quinoa
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in oats and quinoa:
- Both quinoa and oats are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than oat.
- Oat has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Oat is a great source of calcium.
- Oat is an excellent source of iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Oats (Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and oats are high in calories. Oat has 224% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and oat has 389 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, oats is lighter in carbs and similar to quinoa for protein and fat. Oats has a macronutrient ratio of 17:67:16 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Oats | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 17% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 71% |
| Fat | 16% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Oat is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 68% less carbohydrates than oat - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and oat has 66.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and oats are high in dietary fiber. Oat has 279% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and oat has 10.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and oats contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Oat is an excellent source of protein and it has 284% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and oat has 16.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa and oats contain similar amounts of saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and oat has 1.2g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and oats contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa has more Vitamin E than oat - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Oat has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both oats and quinoa contain significant amounts of riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Oats | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.763 MG | 0.107 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.139 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Niacin | 0.961 MG | 0.412 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.349 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.119 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Folate | 56 UG | 42 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Oat is a great source of calcium and it has 218% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and oat has 54mg of calcium.
iron
Oat is an excellent source of iron and it has 217% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and oat has 4.7mg of iron.
potassium
Oat is an excellent source of potassium and it has 149% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and oat has 429mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than oat per 100 grams. Both oats and quinoa contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Oats | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.111 G | 0.085 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.015 G |
| Total | 0.111 G | 0.1 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, oat has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Oats | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 2.424 G | 0.974 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 2.424 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 Oats or Quinoa .
Oats g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does quinoa or oats contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and oats are high in calories. Oat has 220% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and oat has 389 calories.
Does quinoa or oats have more carbohydrates?
By weight, oat is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than oat - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and oat has 66.3g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or oats contain more iron?
Oat is an abundant source of iron and it has 220% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and oat has 4.7mg of iron.
Does quinoa or oats contain more potassium?
Oat is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and oat has 429mg of potassium.