Beef vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Quinoa


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked beef versus cooked quinoa (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and quinoa:

  • Both beef and quinoa are high in calories.
  • Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate.
  • Beef has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
  • Beef is a great source of iron and potassium.
  • Beef is an excellent source of protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than beef.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and quinoa is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Quinoa src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and quinoa are high in calories. Beef has 131% more calories than quinoa - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to quinoa per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Quinoa
Protein 38% 15%
Carbohydrates ~ 71%
Fat 62% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Beef has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Quinoa and beef contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 477% more protein than quinoa - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and quinoa has 97% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Quinoa has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Quinoa has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Beef and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Beef and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Beef and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both beef and quinoa contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.

Beef Quinoa
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 11 UG 42 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 106% more calcium than quinoa - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 51% more iron than quinoa - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Beef is a great source of potassium and it has 60% more potassium than quinoa - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than beef per 100 grams. Both beef and quinoa contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beef Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.085 G
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.056 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Quinoa
other omega 6 0.047 G 0.003 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 0.974 G
Total 0.437 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 Beef or Quinoa .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does beef or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and quinoa are high in calories. Beef has 130% more calories than quinoa - beef has 277 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Is beef or quinoa better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 480% more protein than quinoa - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Does quinoa or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beef has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..