Quinoa vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and zucchini:
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than zucchini.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, however, zucchini contains more pantothenic acid.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Zucchini has 5.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and zucchini has 86% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and zucchini has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to zucchini for fat. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 62% |
| Fat | 15% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 5.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 180% more dietary fiber than zucchini - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and zucchini contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and zucchini has 2.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 264% more protein than zucchini - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and zucchini has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and zucchini are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Zucchini has more Vitamin A than quinoa - zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Zucchini and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, however, zucchini contains more pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and zucchini contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and zucchini contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and zucchini has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 303% more iron than zucchini - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.37mg of iron.
potassium
Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 52% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg 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 | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 120 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 2125 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than zucchini per 100 grams. Both quinoa and zucchini contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.061 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than zucchini per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 0.031 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 (%) |
Zucchini 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 zucchini contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and zucchini has 90% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and zucchini has 17 calories.
Does quinoa or zucchini have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 5.8 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.