Quinoa vs. Apple
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Apple
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
apple
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and apple:
- Both quinoa and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Quinoa has 10.9 times less sugar than apple.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, apple contains more pantothenic acid.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and apple has 57% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to apple per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for apple, 2:96:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 96% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Apple has 35% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 81% sugar and 19% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and apple are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has 17% more dietary fiber than apple - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has 10.9 times less sugar than apple - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 15 times more protein than apple - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and apple are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Apple has more Vitamin C than quinoa - apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Apple and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - apple has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Apple and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, apple contains more pantothenic acid.
| Quinoa | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.026 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.061 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 3 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 183% more calcium than apple - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 11 times more iron than apple - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 61% more potassium than apple - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg 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 apple contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Quinoa | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 27 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 29 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than apple per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.009 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.009 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than apple per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.043 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.043 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 (%) |
Apple 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 apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and apple has 60% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Does quinoa or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, apple has 40% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 80% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.