Quinoa vs. Yellow Corn
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Yellow Corn
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
yellow corn
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and yellow corn:
- Both quinoa and yellow corn are high in dietary fiber.
- Yellow corn has more niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Yellow corn is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Yellow Corn (Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and yellow corn has 20% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and yellow corn has 96 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs and similar to yellow corn for protein and fat. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for yellow corn, 12:76:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 76% |
| Fat | 15% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa and yellow corn contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and yellow corn has 21g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and yellow corn are high in dietary fiber. Quinoa has 17% more dietary fiber than yellow corn - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and yellow corn has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and yellow corn contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and yellow corn has 4.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Quinoa and yellow corn contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and yellow corn has 3.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both quinoa and yellow corn are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.2g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Yellow corn has more Vitamin C than quinoa - yellow corn has 5.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Yellow corn has more Vitamin A than quinoa - yellow corn has 13ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and yellow corn contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.09mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Yellow corn and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - yellow corn has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Yellow corn has more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and yellow corn contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.057 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 1.683 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.792 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.139 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 23 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 467% more calcium than yellow corn - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and yellow corn has 3mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 231% more iron than yellow corn - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.45mg of iron.
potassium
Yellow corn is a great source of potassium and it has 27% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and yellow corn has 218mg 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 | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 66 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | 906 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 23 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than yellow corn per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.018 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.018 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and yellow corn contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.586 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.586 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 Yellow Corn (Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Yellow Corn g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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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 % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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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 % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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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 yellow corn contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and yellow corn has 20% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and yellow corn has 96 calories.
Does quinoa or yellow corn have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and yellow corn contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and yellow corn has 21g of carbohydrates.