Quinoa vs. Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and cheese:
- Both quinoa and cheese are high in calories.
- Cheese has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese.
- Cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A, calcium and protein.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 220% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheese per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for cheese, 25:0:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | ~ |
| Fat | 15% | 75% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheese has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheese - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 435% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheese is high in saturated fat and quinoa has 99% less saturated fat than cheese - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than cheese - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cheese has more Vitamin D than quinoa - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheese and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and cheese contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.318 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.249 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.23 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 37 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 153% more iron than cheese - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 102% more potassium than cheese - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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, cheese has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 56 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than cheese per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.332 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.332 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.532 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.532 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 (%) |
Cheese 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 cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 220% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Does quinoa or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cheese has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or cheese contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 37 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.