Quinoa vs. Cottage Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cottage Cheese


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and cottage cheese:

  • Cottage cheese has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
  • Cottage cheese is a great source of protein.
  • Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Quinoa has 6.4 times less saturated fat than cottage cheese.
  • Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
  • Quinoa has signficantly more iron than cottage cheese.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and cottage cheese 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 Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Cottage Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Quinoa is high in calories and cottage cheese has 18% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cottage cheese per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for cottage cheese, 46:14:40 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Cottage Cheese
Protein 15% 46%
Carbohydrates 71% 14%
Fat 14% 40%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cottage cheese has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in quinoa are made of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar, whereas the carbs in cottage cheese comprise of 100% sugar.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Quinoa and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 2.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 153% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa has 6.4 times less saturated fat than cottage cheese - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 1.7g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Quinoa has less cholesterol than cottage cheese - cottage cheese has 17mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cottage cheese has more Vitamin A than quinoa - cottage cheese has 37ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Cottage cheese and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cottage cheese has 3iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Quinoa and cottage cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.

The B Vitamins

Quinoa has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cottage cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and cottage cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Quinoa Cottage Cheese
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.027 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.163 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 0.099 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.557 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.046 MG
Folate 42 UG 12 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.43 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 388% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has signficantly more iron than cottage cheese - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 0.07mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 65% more potassium than cottage cheese - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 104mg 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 cottage cheese contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Quinoa Cottage Cheese
beta-carotene 3 UG 12 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than cottage cheese per 100 grams.

Quinoa Cottage Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.017 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.017 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Cottage Cheese
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.105 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.105 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 Cottage Cheese .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Cottage Cheese (Cheese, cottage, creamed, large or small curd) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or cottage cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Quinoa is high in calories and cottage cheese has 20% less calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and cottage cheese has 98 calories.

Is quinoa or cottage cheese better for protein?
Cottage cheese is a great source of protein and it has 150% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and cottage cheese has 11.1g of protein.

Does quinoa or cottage cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cottage cheese has 5.3 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and cottage cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in quinoa are made of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar, whereas the carbs in cottage cheese comprise of 100% sugar.

Does quinoa or cottage cheese contain more calcium?
Cottage cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 390% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and cottage cheese has 83mg of calcium.