Quinoa vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Chicken
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
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and chicken:
- Both quinoa and chicken are high in calories.
- Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate.
- Chicken has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more dha and dpa than quinoa.
- Quinoa has 12.4 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Quinoa has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 58% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | ~ |
| Fat | 15% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken is an excellent source of protein and it has 429% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 12.4 times less saturated fat than chicken - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and quinoa are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Quinoa has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Quinoa and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both quinoa and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Quinoa | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Quinoa has 113% more calcium than chicken - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 60% more iron than chicken - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 294% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more DHA and DPA than quinoa per 100 grams. Both quinoa and chicken contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and chicken contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 1.838 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.
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken 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 contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 60% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is quinoa or chicken better for protein?
Chicken is a fantastic source of protein and it has 430% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does quinoa or chicken have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and chicken has no carbs..
Does quinoa or chicken contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 290% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.