Quinoa vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and onion:
- Onion has 56% less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, onion contains more pantothenic acid.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and onion has 67% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 87% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion has 56% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 65% more dietary fiber than onion - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 300% more protein than onion - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and onion are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has more Vitamin C than quinoa - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Onion and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - onion has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, onion contains more pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and onion contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 610% more iron than onion - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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 onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Quinoa | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than onion per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.004 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.013 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 (%) |
Onion 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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and onion has 70% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does quinoa or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion has 60% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.