Quinoa vs. Banana
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Banana
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
banana
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and banana:
- Both quinoa and banana are high in dietary fiber.
- Banana has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana.
- Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than quinoa.
- Banana is an excellent source of potassium.
- Quinoa has 13 times less sugar than banana.
- Quinoa has more thiamin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Banana (Bananas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and banana has 26% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to banana per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for banana, 5:93:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 93% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and banana are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has a little more dietary fiber (8%) than banana by weight - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has 13 times less sugar than banana - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 304% more protein than banana - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and banana are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than quinoa - banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Banana and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - banana has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Banana and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and banana contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Quinoa | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.665 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.334 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.367 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 20 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 240% more calcium than banana - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 473% more iron than banana - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Banana is an excellent source of potassium and it has 108% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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, banana has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 26 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 22 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than banana per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.027 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.027 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.046 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.046 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 (%) |
Banana 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 banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and banana has 30% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Does quinoa or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or banana contain more potassium?
Banana is a rich source of potassium and it has 110% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.