Couscous vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Cooked Quinoa


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

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

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

  • Both quinoa and couscous are high in calories.
  • Quinoa has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, couscous contains more niacin and pantothenic acid.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous and quinoa 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Quinoa src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and couscous are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories (7%) than couscous by weight - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to quinoa for protein. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Quinoa
Protein 14% 15%
Carbohydrates 85% 71%
Fat 2% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Quinoa and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 100% more dietary fiber than couscous - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and couscous contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Quinoa and couscous contain similar amounts of protein - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both quinoa and couscous are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Quinoa and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Couscous and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Couscous Quinoa
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 15 UG 42 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa has 113% more calcium than couscous - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 292% more iron than couscous - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 197% more potassium than couscous - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg 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,

Couscous Quinoa
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG 53 UG
beta-carotene ~ 3 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Couscous Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.003 G 0.085 G
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.003 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

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

Couscous Quinoa
linoleic acid 0.06 G 0.974 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
Total 0.06 G 0.977 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 Couscous or Quinoa .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

Cooked Couscous g

()
Daily Values (%)

Cooked Quinoa 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 couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and couscous are high in calories. Quinoa has a little more calories ( 10%) than couscous by weight - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.

Does quinoa or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.