Quinoa vs. Pinto Beans

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Pinto Beans


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and pinto beans:

  • Both quinoa and pinto beans are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than pinto bean.
  • Pinto bean is a great source of potassium.
  • Pinto bean is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Quinoa has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and pinto beans 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 Pinto Beans (Beans, pinto, canned, drained solids) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Pinto Beans src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and pinto beans are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories (5%) than pinto bean by weight - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and pinto bean has 114 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to pinto beans for carbs. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for pinto beans, 24:69:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Pinto Beans
Protein 15% 24%
Carbohydrates 71% 69%
Fat 15% 7%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Quinoa and pinto beans contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and pinto bean has 20.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both quinoa and pinto beans are high in dietary fiber. Pinto bean has 96% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pinto bean has 5.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and pinto beans contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and pinto bean has 0.54g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Pinto bean has 59% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and pinto bean has 7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both quinoa and pinto beans are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pinto bean has 0.16g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Pinto beans and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - pinto bean has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Quinoa has more Vitamin E than pinto bean - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pinto bean does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Quinoa has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and pinto beans contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.

Quinoa Pinto Beans
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.052 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.019 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 0.272 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG ~
Folate 42 UG 24 UG

Minerals

calcium

Pinto bean is an excellent source of calcium and it has 271% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and pinto bean has 63mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa and pinto beans contain similar amounts of iron - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and pinto bean has 1.3mg of iron.

potassium

Pinto bean is a great source of potassium and it has 59% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and pinto bean has 274mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than pinto bean per 100 grams. Both quinoa and pinto beans contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Quinoa Pinto Beans
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.158 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.158 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Pinto Beans
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.115 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.115 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 Pinto Beans (Beans, pinto, canned, drained solids) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or pinto beans contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and pinto beans are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories ( 10%) than pinto bean by weight - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and pinto bean has 114 calories.

Does quinoa or pinto beans have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and pinto beans contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and pinto bean has 20.2g of carbohydrates.

Does quinoa or pinto beans contain more calcium?
Pinto bean is a rich source of calcium and it has 270% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and pinto bean has 63mg of calcium.