Quinoa vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Chicken Breast
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
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and chicken breast:
- Both quinoa and chicken breast are high in calories.
- Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate.
- Chicken breast has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Chicken breast is a great source of potassium.
- Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken breast has 38% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | ~ |
| Fat | 15% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken breast has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein and it has 605% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than quinoa - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than quinoa - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both quinoa and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Quinoa | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa and chicken breast contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 43% more iron than chicken breast - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Chicken breast is a great source of potassium and it has 49% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both quinoa and chicken breast contain significant amounts of DHA.
| Quinoa | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.65 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 Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken Breast 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 chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken breast has 40% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is quinoa or chicken breast better for protein?
Chicken breast is a fantastic source of protein and it has 610% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does quinoa or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken breast has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..