Quinoa vs. Whole Milk
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Whole Milk
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
whole milk
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and whole milk:
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than whole milk.
- Quinoa has 4.8 times less sugar than whole milk.
- Quinoa has 7 times less saturated fat than whole milk.
- Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Quinoa has signficantly more iron than whole milk.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Whole milk has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than quinoa.
- Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and whole milk has 49% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to whole milk per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for whole milk, 21:32:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 32% |
| Fat | 15% | 48% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole milk has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa has 4.8 times less sugar than whole milk - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and whole milk has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa and whole milk contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 7 times less saturated fat than whole milk - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole milk has more Vitamin A than quinoa - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than quinoa - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and whole milk contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Quinoa | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.089 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.373 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.036 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 5 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 565% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has signficantly more iron than whole milk - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa and whole milk contain similar amounts of potassium - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg 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 whole milk contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Quinoa | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than whole milk per 100 grams. Both quinoa and whole milk contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.075 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.075 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Whole Milk | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.12 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.12 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Milk 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 whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and whole milk has 50% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does quinoa or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole milk has 3.4 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in whole milk comprise of 100% sugar.
Does quinoa or whole milk contain more calcium?
Whole milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 570% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.