Quinoa vs. Spirulina

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Spirulina

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

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

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

  • Both quinoa and spirulina are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • Quinoa has 10.4 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
  • Spirulina has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina.
  • Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than quinoa.
  • Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and spirulina 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 Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Quinoa src
Image of Spirulina src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 142% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to spirulina for fat. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Spirulina
Protein 15% 58%
Carbohydrates 71% 24%
Fat 15% 18%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Quinoa and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both quinoa and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Spirulina has 29% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa has 10.4 times less saturated fat than spirulina - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than quinoa - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Spirulina has more Vitamin A than quinoa - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spirulina has 694% more Vitamin E than quinoa - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spirulina has more Vitamin K than quinoa - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Quinoa Spirulina
Thiamin 0.107 MG 2.38 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 3.67 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 12.82 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 3.48 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.364 MG
Folate 42 UG 94 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 606% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.

potassium

Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 692% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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, spirulina has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina per 100 grams.

Quinoa Spirulina
beta-carotene 3 UG 342 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Spirulina
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.823 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.823 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and spirulina contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Quinoa Spirulina
linoleic acid 0.974 G 1.254 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 1.254 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .

Cooked Quinoa 185g

( cup )
Daily Values (%)

Spirulina 112g

( cup )
222KCAL 11%
calories 46%
325KCAL 16%
39G 16%
44% carbohydrates
27G 11%
5.2G 21%
30% dietary fiber
4G 16%
1.6G sugar 119% 3.5G
3.6G 6%
total fat 139%
8.6G 14%
0.43G 2%
saturated fat 598%
3G 17%
0.98G 29% monounsaturated fat 0.76G
2G polyunsaturated fat 15% 2.3G
13MG 1%
sodium >999%
1174MG 78%
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin A >999%
32UG 5%
Vitamin C >999%
11MG 15%
31MG 3%
calcium 332%
134MG 13%
2.8MG 15%
iron >999%
32MG 177%
118MG 38%
magnesium 85%
218MG 71%
318MG 14%
potassium 380%
1527MG 66%
0.2MG 18%
thiamin (Vit B1) >999%
2.7MG 242%
0.2MG 19%
riboflavin (Vit B2) >999%
4.1MG 374%
0.76MG 5%
niacin (Vit B3) >999%
14MG 103%
0.23MG 18%
Vitamin B6 78%
0.41MG 31%
pantothenic acid (Vit B5) >999%
3.9MG 78%
78UG 19%
folate (Vit B9) 35%
105UG 26%
1.2MG 8%
Vitamin E 367%
5.6MG 37%
Vitamin K >999%
29UG 32%
8.1G 16%
protein 690%
64G 129%
43MG 10%
choline 72%
74MG 17%
0.36MG 30%
copper >999%
6.8MG 569%
1.2MG 65%
manganese 75%
2.1MG 118%
281MG 40%
113% phosphorus
132MG 19%
5.2UG 9%
selenium 56%
8.1UG 15%
2MG 25%
zinc 10%
2.2MG 28%
132G >999% Water 5.2G
33G >999% Starch


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does quinoa or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 140% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.

Is quinoa or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.

Does quinoa or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.

Does quinoa or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 610% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.

Does quinoa or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.

Does quinoa or spirulina contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 690% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.