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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and chicken 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 (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Chicken src

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 15:71:14 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Chicken
Protein 15% 49%
Carbohydrates 71% ~
Fat 14% 51%
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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Quinoa or Chicken .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

Cooked Quinoa g

()
Daily Values (%)

Cooked Chicken 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 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.

Compare Food