Quinoa vs. Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Wheat Flour


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

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

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

  • Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than wheat flour.
  • Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Wheat flour is a great source of protein.
  • Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and wheat flour 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 Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Wheat Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat flour has 201% more calories than quinoa - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to wheat flour for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for wheat flour, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Wheat Flour
Protein 15% 14%
Carbohydrates 71% 82%
Fat 14% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 71% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for dietary fiber - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 172% more protein than quinoa - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wheat flour and quinoa are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.

Quinoa Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.812 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.512 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 7.554 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.438 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.037 MG
Folate 42 UG 183 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wheat flour and quinoa contain similar amounts of calcium - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 196% more iron than quinoa - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 72% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg 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 wheat flour contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Quinoa Wheat Flour
beta-carotene 3 UG 1 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG 79 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than wheat flour per 100 grams. Both quinoa and wheat flour contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Quinoa Wheat Flour
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.043 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.043 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Wheat Flour
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.685 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.685 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 Wheat Flour .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat flour has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Does wheat flour or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or quinoa contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 200% more iron than quinoa - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.