Granola vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Granola and Cooked Quinoa


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

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

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

  • Both quinoa and granola are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • Granola has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Granola is an excellent source of Vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than granola.
  • Quinoa has signficantly less sugar than granola.
Detailed nutritional comparison of granola 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: Granola (Cereals ready-to-eat, granola, homemade) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


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Image of Quinoa src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and granola are high in calories. Granola has 308% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and granola has 489 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, granola is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to quinoa per calorie. Granola has a macronutrient ratio of 11:44:45 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Granola Quinoa
Protein 11% 15%
Carbohydrates 44% 71%
Fat 45% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Granola is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% less carbohydrates than granola - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and granola has 53.9g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both quinoa and granola are high in dietary fiber. Granola has 218% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and granola has 8.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa has signficantly less sugar than granola - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and granola has 19.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Granola is an excellent source of protein and it has 211% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and granola has 13.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa has signficantly less saturated fat than granola - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and granola has 4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both granola and quinoa are low in trans fat - granola has 0.02g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Granola has more Vitamin C than quinoa - granola has 1.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Granola and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - granola has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Granola is an excellent source of Vitamin E and it has 16 times more Vitamin E than quinoa - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and granola has 11.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Granola has more Vitamin K than quinoa - granola has 5.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Granola has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both granola and quinoa contain significant amounts of folate.

Granola Quinoa
Thiamin 0.548 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.354 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 2.739 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.752 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.37 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 84 UG 42 UG

Minerals

calcium

Granola is an excellent source of calcium and it has 347% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and granola has 76mg of calcium.

iron

Granola is an excellent source of iron and it has 165% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and granola has 4mg of iron.

potassium

Granola is an excellent source of potassium and it has 213% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and granola has 539mg 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 granola and quinoa contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Granola Quinoa
beta-carotene 11 UG 3 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 137 UG 53 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, granola has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than granola per 100 grams.

Granola Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.611 G 0.085 G
EPA 0.002 G ~
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.613 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

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

Granola Quinoa
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
linoleic acid 7.194 G 0.974 G
Total 7.194 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 Granola or Quinoa .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Granola (Cereals ready-to-eat, granola, homemade) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or granola contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and granola are high in calories. Granola has 310% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and granola has 489 calories.

Does quinoa or granola have more carbohydrates?
By weight, granola is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% fewer carbohydrates than granola - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and granola has 53.9g of carbohydrates.

Does quinoa or granola contain more calcium?
Granola is a rich source of calcium and it has 350% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and granola has 76mg of calcium.

Does quinoa or granola contain more iron?
Granola is an abundant source of iron and it has 170% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and granola has 4mg of iron.

Does quinoa or granola contain more potassium?
Granola is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and granola has 539mg of potassium.