Whole Wheat Bread vs. Quinoa
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Cooked Quinoa
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole wheat bread
versus
cooked
quinoa
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and quinoa:
- Both whole wheat bread and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Quinoa has 6.3 times less sugar than whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and potassium.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat bread and quinoa are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 121% more calories than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to quinoa for fat. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:65:14 and for quinoa, 15:71:15 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 71% |
| Fat | 14% | 15% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 51% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat bread and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 164% more dietary fiber than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has 6.3 times less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein and it has 204% more protein than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and quinoa are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Whole wheat bread and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Quinoa and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both whole wheat bread and quinoa contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.107 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 0.412 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 42 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 506% more calcium than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 68% more iron than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 34% more potassium than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 230mg 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 whole wheat bread and quinoa contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 3 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | 53 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than whole wheat bread per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.085 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.015 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.1 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both whole wheat bread and quinoa contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.974 G |
| Total | 1.667 G | 0.977 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: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .
Whole Wheat Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Quinoa 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 whole wheat bread or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat bread and quinoa are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 120% more calories than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 50% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or quinoa contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 510% more calcium than quinoa - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.