Quinoa vs. Wild Rice
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Wild Rice
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
cooked
wild rice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and wild rice:
- Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than wild rice.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Wild rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wild Rice (Wild rice, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories. Wild rice is very similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to wild rice for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for wild rice, 15:82:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Wild Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 82% |
| Fat | 15% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - wild rice has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 56% more dietary fiber than wild rice - wild rice has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - wild rice has 0.73g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - wild rice has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both wild rice and quinoa are low in saturated fat - wild rice has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and wild rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wild rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wild rice has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wild rice has 0.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wild rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and wild rice contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Wild Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.087 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 1.287 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.154 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.135 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 26 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 467% more calcium than wild rice - wild rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 148% more iron than wild rice - wild rice has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 70% more potassium than wild rice - wild rice has 101mg 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 wild rice contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Quinoa | Wild Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 2 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 64 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than wild rice per 100 grams. Both quinoa and wild rice contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Wild Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.095 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.095 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than wild rice per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Wild Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.119 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.119 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 (%) |
Cooked Wild Rice 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 wild rice or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories. Wild rice is quite similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Does wild rice or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - wild rice has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.