Granola vs. Quinoa
Nutrition comparison of Granola and Cooked Quinoa
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
granola
versus
cooked
quinoa
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in granola and quinoa:
- Both quinoa and granola are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Granola has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Granola is an excellent source of Vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
- Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than granola.
- Quinoa has signficantly less sugar than granola.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Granola (Cereals ready-to-eat, granola, homemade) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and granola are high in calories. Granola has 308% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and granola has 489 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, granola is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to quinoa per calorie. Granola has a macronutrient ratio of 11:44:45 and for quinoa, 15:71:15 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Granola | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 44% | 71% |
| Fat | 45% | 15% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Granola is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% less carbohydrates than granola - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and granola has 53.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and granola are high in dietary fiber. Granola has 218% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and granola has 8.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa has signficantly less sugar than granola - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and granola has 19.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Granola is an excellent source of protein and it has 211% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and granola has 13.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than granola - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and granola has 4g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both granola and quinoa are low in trans fat - granola has 0.02g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Granola has more Vitamin C than quinoa - granola has 1.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Granola and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - granola has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Granola is an excellent source of Vitamin E and it has 16 times more Vitamin E than quinoa - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and granola has 11.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Granola has more Vitamin K than quinoa - granola has 5.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Granola has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both granola and quinoa contain significant amounts of folate.
| Granola | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.548 MG | 0.107 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.354 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Niacin | 2.739 MG | 0.412 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.752 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.37 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Folate | 84 UG | 42 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Granola is an excellent source of calcium and it has 347% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and granola has 76mg of calcium.
iron
Granola is an excellent source of iron and it has 165% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and granola has 4mg of iron.
potassium
Granola is an excellent source of potassium and it has 213% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and granola has 539mg 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 granola and quinoa contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Granola | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 11 UG | 3 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 137 UG | 53 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, granola has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than granola per 100 grams.
| Granola | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.611 G | 0.085 G |
| EPA | 0.002 G | ~ |
| DHA | ~ | 0.015 G |
| Total | 0.613 G | 0.1 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, granola has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Granola | Quinoa | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| linoleic acid | 7.194 G | 0.974 G |
| Total | 7.194 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.
Granola g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Quinoa 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 granola contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and granola are high in calories. Granola has 310% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and granola has 489 calories.
Does quinoa or granola have more carbohydrates?
By weight, granola is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% fewer carbohydrates than granola - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and granola has 53.9g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or granola contain more calcium?
Granola is a rich source of calcium and it has 350% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and granola has 76mg of calcium.
Does quinoa or granola contain more iron?
Granola is an abundant source of iron and it has 170% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and granola has 4mg of iron.
Does quinoa or granola contain more potassium?
Granola is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and granola has 539mg of potassium.