Quinoa vs. Fava Bean
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Fava Bean
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
cooked
fava bean
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and fava bean:
- Both quinoa and fava bean are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Fava bean has more pantothenic acid and folate.
- Fava bean is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Fava Bean (Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and fava bean are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories (9%) than fava bean by weight - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and fava bean has 110 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to fava bean for carbs. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for fava bean, 27:70:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Fava Bean | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 70% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa and fava bean contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and fava bean are high in dietary fiber. Fava bean has 93% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and fava bean has 5.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and fava bean contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and fava bean has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Fava bean has 73% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and fava bean has 7.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and fava bean are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Fava bean and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - fava bean has 0.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Fava bean and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - fava bean has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Fava bean and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - fava bean has 2.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Fava bean has more pantothenic acid and folate. Both quinoa and fava bean contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Fava Bean | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.097 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.711 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.157 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 104 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Fava bean has 112% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and fava bean has 36mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa and fava bean contain similar amounts of iron - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and fava bean has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Fava bean is a great source of potassium and it has 56% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and fava bean has 268mg 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, both quinoa and fava bean contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Quinoa | Fava Bean | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 9 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than fava bean per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Fava Bean | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.012 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.012 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than fava bean per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Fava Bean | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.152 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.152 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 (%) |
Cooked Fava Bean 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 fava bean contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and fava bean are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories ( 10%) than fava bean by weight - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and fava bean has 110 calories.
Does quinoa or fava bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and fava bean contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.