Quinoa vs. Broccoli
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Broccoli
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
broccoli
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and broccoli:
- Both quinoa and broccoli are high in dietary fiber.
- Broccoli has 69% less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Broccoli has more pantothenic acid.
- Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and calcium.
- Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and broccoli has 72% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and broccoli has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to broccoli per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for broccoli, 28:65:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 65% |
| Fat | 15% | 7% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Broccoli has 69% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and broccoli are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has a little more dietary fiber (8%) than broccoli by weight - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and broccoli contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and broccoli has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa and broccoli contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and broccoli are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - broccoli has 89.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Broccoli has more Vitamin A than quinoa - broccoli has 31ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and broccoli contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.78mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than quinoa - broccoli has 101.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Broccoli has more pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and broccoli contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.071 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.117 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.639 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.573 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.175 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 63 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Broccoli is a great source of calcium and it has 176% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 104% more iron than broccoli - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.
potassium
Broccoli is an excellent source of potassium and it has 84% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg 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 | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 361 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 1403 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 broccoli per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.0215 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.0215 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than broccoli per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.049 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 0.055 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 (%) |
Broccoli 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 broccoli contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and broccoli has 70% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and broccoli has 34 calories.
Does quinoa or broccoli have more carbohydrates?
By weight, broccoli has 70% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or broccoli contain more potassium?
Broccoli is a rich source of potassium and it has 80% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg of potassium.