Quinoa vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and spinach:
- Both spinach and quinoa are high in dietary fiber.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than spinach.
- Spinach has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Spinach has more pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and spinach has 81% less calories than quinoa - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 49% |
| Fat | 15% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and quinoa are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than quinoa - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more pantothenic acid and folate. Both quinoa and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 482% more calcium than quinoa - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 82% more iron than quinoa - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 224% more potassium than quinoa - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg 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 | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than spinach per 100 grams. Both quinoa and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.138 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.026 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.026 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 (%) |
Spinach 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 spinach or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than quinoa - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Is spinach or quinoa better for protein?
Spinach and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Does spinach or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.8 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or quinoa contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 480% more calcium than quinoa - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
Does spinach or quinoa contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 220% more potassium than quinoa - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.