Brown Rice vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Cooked Quinoa


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and quinoa:

  • Both quinoa and brown rice are high in calories.
  • Brown rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more folate.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown rice and quinoa 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Brown Rice src
Image of Quinoa src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between brown rice and quinoa. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and brown rice are high in calories. Quinoa is very similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to quinoa per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for quinoa, 15:71:15 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Rice Quinoa
Protein 9% 15%
Carbohydrates 84% 71%
Fat 7% 15%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Quinoa and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than brown rice - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Quinoa has 61% more protein than brown rice - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both quinoa and brown rice are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Quinoa and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Quinoa and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Brown rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Brown rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both brown rice and quinoa contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.

Brown Rice Quinoa
Thiamin 0.178 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.069 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 2.561 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 9 UG 42 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa has 467% more calcium than brown rice - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 166% more iron than brown rice - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 100% more potassium than brown rice - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than brown rice per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.085 G
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.011 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

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

Brown Rice Quinoa
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
linoleic acid 0.355 G 0.974 G
Total 0.355 G 0.977 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and brown rice are high in calories. Quinoa is quite similar to quinoa for calories - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.

Does quinoa or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.