Quinoa vs. Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Tofu
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and tofu:
- Quinoa has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, tofu contains more pantothenic acid.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Tofu has 10.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Tofu is a great source of protein.
- Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and tofu has 37% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to tofu per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 9% |
| Fat | 15% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Tofu has 10.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in tofu comprise of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 833% more dietary fiber than tofu - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Tofu is a great source of protein and it has 84% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and tofu are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tofu and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Tofu has more Vitamin A than quinoa - tofu has 25.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Tofu and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, tofu contains more pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and tofu contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Quinoa | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.081 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.068 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Tofu is an excellent source of iron and it has 260% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 42% more potassium than tofu - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than tofu per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.319 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.319 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 2.38 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 2.38 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 (%) |
Tofu 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 tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and tofu has 40% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is quinoa or tofu better for protein?
Tofu is a great source of protein and it has 80% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does quinoa or tofu have more carbohydrates?
By weight, tofu has 10.3 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in tofu comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does quinoa or tofu contain more calcium?
Tofu is a rich source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does quinoa or tofu contain more iron?
Tofu is an abundant source of iron and it has 260% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.