Quinoa vs. Wheat Germ
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Wheat Germ
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
wheat germ
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and wheat germ:
- Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Quinoa has 6.2 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat germ has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 54% |
| Fat | 14% | 23% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 59% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Wheat germ has 371% more dietary fiber than quinoa - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and it has 426% more protein than quinoa - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 6.2 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa has more Vitamin E than wheat germ - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 1.882 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.499 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 6.813 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 2.257 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 1.3 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 281 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat germ has 129% more calcium than quinoa - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 320% more iron than quinoa - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Wheat germ is an excellent source of potassium and it has 419% more potassium than quinoa - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than wheat germ per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.723 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.723 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 5.287 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 5.287 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Quinoa or Wheat Germ .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Wheat Germ 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 wheat germ or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat germ has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Does wheat germ or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or quinoa contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 320% more iron than quinoa - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or quinoa contain more potassium?
Wheat germ is a rich source of potassium and it has 420% more potassium than quinoa - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.