Quinoa vs. Salmon
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Salmon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
salmon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and salmon:
- Both quinoa and salmon are high in calories.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than quinoa.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Salmon has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate.
- Salmon has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and salmon are high in calories. Quinoa is very similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to salmon per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for salmon, 67:0:33 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | ~ |
| Fat | 15% | 33% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Salmon has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than salmon - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and salmon contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Salmon is an excellent source of protein and it has 366% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and salmon are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both salmon and quinoa are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than salmon - salmon has 46mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Salmon has more Vitamin A than quinoa - salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than quinoa - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Salmon and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Salmon has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both quinoa and salmon contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Quinoa | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.105 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 7.995 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 1.03 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.611 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 4.15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 143% more calcium than salmon - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 292% more iron than salmon - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Salmon is an excellent source of potassium and it has 113% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more DHA, EPA and DPA than quinoa per 100 grams. Both quinoa and salmon contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.047 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | 0.333 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.182 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.609 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.081 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 0.085 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 (%) |
Salmon 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 salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and salmon are high in calories. Quinoa is quite similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is quinoa or salmon better for protein?
Salmon is a fantastic source of protein and it has 370% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does quinoa or salmon have more carbohydrates?
By weight, salmon has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and salmon has no carbs..
Does quinoa or salmon contain more potassium?
Salmon is a rich source of potassium and it has 110% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.