Quinoa vs. Russet Potato

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Russet Potato


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked quinoa versus russet potato (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and russet potato:

  • Quinoa has more riboflavin and folate, however, russet potato contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Russet potato is an excellent source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and russet potato is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Russet Potato src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Quinoa is high in calories and russet potato has 34% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to russet potato per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for russet potato, 11:89:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Russet Potato
Protein 15% 11%
Carbohydrates 71% 89%
Fat 15% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Quinoa and russet potato contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 89% starch, 7% dietary fiber and 3% sugar.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 115% more dietary fiber than russet potato - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and russet potato contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Quinoa has 106% more protein than russet potato - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both quinoa and russet potato are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Russet potato has more Vitamin C than quinoa - russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Russet potato and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - russet potato has 0.3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Quinoa and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Russet potato and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Quinoa has more riboflavin and folate, however, russet potato contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and russet potato contain significant amounts of thiamin.

Quinoa Russet Potato
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.082 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.033 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 1.035 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.301 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.345 MG
Folate 42 UG 14 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa and russet potato contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 73% more iron than russet potato - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.

potassium

Russet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 142% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg 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 Russet Potato
beta-carotene 3 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG 5 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than russet potato per 100 grams.

Quinoa Russet Potato
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.01 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.01 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than russet potato per 100 grams.

Quinoa Russet Potato
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.032 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.032 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 Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .

Cooked Quinoa g

()
Daily Values (%)

Russet Potato g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does quinoa or russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?
Quinoa is high in calories and russet potato has 30% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.

Does quinoa or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and russet potato contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 90% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.

Does quinoa or russet potato contain more potassium?
Russet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 140% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.