Quinoa vs. Chicken Leg

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Chicken Leg


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and chicken leg:

  • Both quinoa and chicken leg are high in calories.
  • Chicken leg has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate.
  • Chicken leg has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa.
  • Chicken leg is an excellent source of protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken leg has more dpa than quinoa.
  • Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than chicken leg.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and chicken leg 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 Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and chicken leg are high in calories. Chicken leg has 78% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and chicken leg has 214 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken leg per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for chicken leg, 31:0:69 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Chicken Leg
Protein 15% 31%
Carbohydrates 71% ~
Fat 15% 69%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chicken leg has signficantly less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.17g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken leg - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken leg does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Quinoa and chicken leg contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken leg does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Chicken leg is an excellent source of protein and it has 272% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than chicken leg - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 4.4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken leg and quinoa are low in trans fat - chicken leg has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Quinoa has less cholesterol than chicken leg - chicken leg has 93mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chicken leg and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chicken leg has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chicken leg has more Vitamin A than quinoa - chicken leg has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Chicken leg and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - chicken leg has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Quinoa and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken leg and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken leg has 2.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Chicken leg has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, quinoa contains more folate. Both quinoa and chicken leg contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.

Quinoa Chicken Leg
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.073 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 4.733 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.994 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.318 MG
Folate 42 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.56 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa and chicken leg contain similar amounts of calcium - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 116% more iron than chicken leg - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa and chicken leg contain similar amounts of potassium - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg 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 quinoa and chicken leg contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Quinoa Chicken Leg
beta-carotene 3 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG 91 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Chicken Leg
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.155 G
DHA 0.015 G 0.01 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
DPA ~ 0.012 G
Total 0.1 G 0.181 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Chicken Leg
linoleic acid 0.974 G 2.987 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.974 G 3.003 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 Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) .

Cooked Quinoa g

()
Daily Values (%)

Chicken Leg g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does quinoa or chicken leg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and chicken leg are high in calories. Chicken leg has 80% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Is quinoa or chicken leg better for protein?
Chicken leg is a fantastic source of protein and it has 270% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Does quinoa or chicken leg have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken leg has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and chicken leg has 0.17g of carbohydrates.