Quinoa vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and kale:
- Both kale and quinoa are high in dietary fiber.
- Kale has 3.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Quinoa is high in calories and kale has 71% less calories than quinoa - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 41% |
| Fat | 15% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 3.8 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both kale and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 46% more dietary fiber than quinoa - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and quinoa are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than quinoa - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than quinoa - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than quinoa - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
iron
Kale and quinoa contain similar amounts of iron - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 102% more potassium than quinoa - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than kale per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.378 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, quinoa has more linoleic acid than kale per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.977 G | 0.294 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.
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does kale or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?Quinoa is high in calories and kale has 70% less calories than quinoa - kale has 35 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.
Does kale or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 3.8 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.
Does kale or quinoa contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than quinoa - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.
Does kale or quinoa contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 100% more potassium than quinoa - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.