Quinoa vs. Canned Tuna
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Canned Tuna
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
canned tuna
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and canned tuna:
- Both quinoa and canned tuna are high in calories.
- Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Canned tuna is a great source of potassium.
- Canned tuna is an excellent source of protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more dha, epa and dpa than quinoa.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and canned tuna are high in calories. Quinoa is very similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to canned tuna per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for canned tuna, 78:0:22 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 78% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | ~ |
| Fat | 15% | 22% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and canned tuna contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Canned tuna is an excellent source of protein and it has 437% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and canned tuna are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than quinoa - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa has more Vitamin E than canned tuna - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and canned tuna contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.008 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.044 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 5.799 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.124 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.217 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.17 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and canned tuna contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 54% more iron than canned tuna - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Canned tuna is a great source of potassium and it has 38% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more DHA, EPA and DPA than quinoa per 100 grams. Both quinoa and canned tuna contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.071 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | 0.629 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.233 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.018 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.951 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.055 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | 0.051 G |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.106 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Canned Tuna g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and canned tuna are high in calories. Quinoa is quite similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is quinoa or canned tuna better for protein?
Canned tuna is a fantastic source of protein and it has 440% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does quinoa or canned tuna have more carbohydrates?
By weight, canned tuna has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and canned tuna has no carbs..