Quinoa vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Squash
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
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and squash:
- Both quinoa and squash are high in dietary fiber.
- Quinoa has more riboflavin and folate, however, squash contains more niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Squash has 51% less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash.
- Squash is a great source of Vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
- Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and squash has 67% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to squash per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 91% |
| Fat | 15% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Squash has 51% less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and squash are high in dietary fiber. Squash has 14% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and squash contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa has 389% more protein than squash - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and squash are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Squash and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - squash has 1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more riboflavin and folate, however, squash contains more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and squash contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Quinoa | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 141% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 148% more iron than squash - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Squash is a great source of potassium and it has 65% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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, squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 4570 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than squash per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.024 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than squash per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.014 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.014 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 Squash 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 squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and squash has 70% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Does quinoa or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, squash has 50% fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.