Pasta vs. Quinoa
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Quinoa
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cooked
quinoa
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and quinoa:
- Both quinoa and pasta are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 209% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to quinoa for protein. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for quinoa, 15:71:15 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 71% |
| Fat | 4% | 15% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 71% less carbohydrates than pasta - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 14% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 196% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and pasta are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both pasta and quinoa contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.107 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.412 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 42 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and pasta contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 121% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 30% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.085 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.015 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.1 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and quinoa contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pasta | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.974 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.977 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.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Quinoa 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 pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 210% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does quinoa or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 120% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.