Quinoa vs. Wheat Flour
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Wheat Flour
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
wheat flour
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and wheat flour:
- Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than wheat flour.
- Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
- Wheat flour is a great source of protein.
- Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat flour has 201% more calories than quinoa - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to wheat flour for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for wheat flour, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 82% |
| Fat | 15% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 71% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for dietary fiber - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 172% more protein than quinoa - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both wheat flour and quinoa are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.812 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.512 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 7.554 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.438 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 183 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of calcium - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 196% more iron than quinoa - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 72% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg 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, both quinoa and wheat flour contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Quinoa | Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 79 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than wheat flour per 100 grams. Both quinoa and wheat flour contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.043 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.043 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and wheat flour contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.685 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.685 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 Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Wheat Flour 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 wheat flour or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat flour has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Does wheat flour or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat flour or quinoa contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 200% more iron than quinoa - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.