Quinoa vs. Sesame Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Sesame Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
sesame seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and sesame seeds:
- Both quinoa and sesame seeds are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Sesame seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Sesame seed is an excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Sesame Seeds (Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and sesame seeds are high in calories. Sesame seed has 371% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and sesame seed has 565 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sesame seeds per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for sesame seeds, 11:17:72 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Sesame Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 17% |
| Fat | 15% | 72% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa and sesame seeds contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and sesame seed has 25.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and sesame seeds are high in dietary fiber. Sesame seed has 400% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sesame seed has 14g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and sesame seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Sesame seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 285% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and sesame seed has 17g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sesame seed is high in saturated fat and quinoa has 97% less saturated fat than sesame seed - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sesame seed has 6.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Sesame seeds and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - sesame seed has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa has more Vitamin E than sesame seed - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sesame seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sesame seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Sesame Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.803 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.251 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 4.581 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.051 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.802 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 98 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sesame seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 57 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and sesame seed has 989mg of calcium.
iron
Sesame seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 891% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and sesame seed has 14.8mg of iron.
potassium
Sesame seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 176% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and sesame seed has 475mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, sesame seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than sesame seed per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Sesame Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.363 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.363 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sesame seed has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Sesame Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 20.654 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 20.654 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 Sesame Seeds (Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sesame Seeds 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 sesame seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and sesame seeds are high in calories. Sesame seed has 370% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and sesame seed has 565 calories.
Does quinoa or sesame seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and sesame seeds contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and sesame seed has 25.7g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or sesame seeds contain more calcium?
Sesame seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 57 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and sesame seed has 989mg of calcium.
Does quinoa or sesame seeds contain more iron?
Sesame seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 890% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and sesame seed has 14.8mg of iron.
Does quinoa or sesame seeds contain more potassium?
Sesame seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 180% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and sesame seed has 475mg of potassium.