Quinoa vs. Alfalfa Sprouts

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Alfalfa Sprouts


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked quinoa versus alfalfa sprouts (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and alfalfa sprouts:

  • Alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
  • Alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout.
  • Alfalfa sprout has more pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and alfalfa sprouts is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Alfalfa Sprouts src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Quinoa is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 81% less calories than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to alfalfa sprouts per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for alfalfa sprouts, 52:27:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Alfalfa Sprouts
Protein 15% 52%
Carbohydrates 71% 27%
Fat 14% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 47% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both alfalfa sprouts and quinoa are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin A than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin K than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Alfalfa sprout has more pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.

Quinoa Alfalfa Sprouts
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.076 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.126 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 0.481 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.563 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.034 MG
Folate 42 UG 36 UG

Minerals

calcium

Alfalfa sprout has 88% more calcium than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 55% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 118% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg 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, alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.

Quinoa Alfalfa Sprouts
beta-carotene 3 UG 87 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG ~
alpha-carotene ~ 6 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.

Quinoa Alfalfa Sprouts
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.175 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.175 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.

Quinoa Alfalfa Sprouts
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.234 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.234 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 Alfalfa Sprouts .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .

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FAQ

Does alfalfa sprouts or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Quinoa is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 80% less calories than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Is alfalfa sprouts or quinoa better for protein?
Alfalfa sprouts and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Does alfalfa sprouts or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 9.1 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.