Quinoa vs. Wild Rice

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cooked Wild Rice


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

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

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

  • Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than wild rice.
  • Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Wild rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and wild rice 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 Wild Rice (Wild rice, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Wild Rice src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories. Wild rice is very similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to wild rice for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for wild rice, 15:82:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Wild Rice
Protein 15% 15%
Carbohydrates 71% 82%
Fat 15% 3%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - wild rice has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 56% more dietary fiber than wild rice - wild rice has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - wild rice has 0.73g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of protein - wild rice has 4g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wild rice and quinoa are low in saturated fat - wild rice has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wild rice has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wild rice and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wild rice has 0.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Wild rice has more niacin and pantothenic acid. Both quinoa and wild rice contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Quinoa Wild Rice
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.052 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.087 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 1.287 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.154 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.135 MG
Folate 42 UG 26 UG

Minerals

calcium

Quinoa has 467% more calcium than wild rice - wild rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 148% more iron than wild rice - wild rice has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Quinoa has 70% more potassium than wild rice - wild rice has 101mg 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 wild rice contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Quinoa Wild Rice
beta-carotene 3 UG 2 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG 64 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Wild Rice
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.095 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.095 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Wild Rice
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.119 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 0.119 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 Wild Rice (Wild rice, cooked) .

Cooked Quinoa g

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FAQ

Does wild rice or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wild rice and quinoa are high in calories. Wild rice is quite similar to wild rice for calories - wild rice has 101 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

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