Quinoa vs. Peas
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Peas
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
peas
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and peas:
- Both quinoa and peas are high in dietary fiber.
- Pea has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Pea is a great source of potassium.
- Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Quinoa has 5.5 times less sugar than pea.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Peas (Peas, green, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and pea has 33% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and pea has 81 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to peas for carbs. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for peas, 26:69:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 69% |
| Fat | 15% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pea has 32% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and peas are high in dietary fiber. Pea has 104% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has 5.5 times less sugar than pea - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa and peas contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and pea has 5.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and peas are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pea has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - pea has 40mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Pea has more Vitamin A than quinoa - pea has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and peas contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pea has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pea has more Vitamin K than quinoa - pea has 24.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pea has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and peas contain significant amounts of riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.266 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.132 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 2.09 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.104 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 65 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pea has 47% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and pea has 25mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa and peas contain similar amounts of iron - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and pea has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Pea is a great source of potassium and it has 42% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and pea has 244mg 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,
| Quinoa | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 449 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 2477 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 21 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than pea per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.035 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.035 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than pea per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.152 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.152 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 (%) |
Peas 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 peas contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and pea has 30% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and pea has 81 calories.
Does quinoa or peas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pea has 30% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.