Quinoa vs. Sunflower Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Sunflower Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
sunflower seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and sunflower seeds:
- Both quinoa and sunflower seeds are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than sunflower seed.
- Sunflower seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Sunflower seed is a great source of calcium.
- Sunflower seed is an excellent source of iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and sunflower seeds are high in calories. Sunflower seed has 416% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to sunflower seeds per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for sunflower seeds, 10:12:77 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 12% |
| Fat | 15% | 77% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Quinoa and sunflower seeds contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 20.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and sunflower seeds are high in dietary fiber. Sunflower seed has 311% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 11.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and sunflower seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 291% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 17.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sunflower seed is high in saturated fat and quinoa has 96% less saturated fat than sunflower seed - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sunflower seed has more Vitamin C than quinoa - sunflower seed has 1.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Quinoa and sunflower seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - quinoa has 1.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa has more Vitamin E than sunflower seed - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sunflower seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.325 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.285 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 4.198 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 7.056 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.805 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 238 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sunflower seed is a great source of calcium and it has 235% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 57mg of calcium.
iron
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 357% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron.
potassium
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 185% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than sunflower seed per 100 grams. Both quinoa and sunflower seeds contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.079 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.079 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sunflower seed has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Sunflower Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 37.39 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.977 G | 37.39 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 Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sunflower Seeds 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 quinoa or sunflower seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and sunflower seeds are high in calories. Sunflower seed has 420% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
Does quinoa or sunflower seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, quinoa and sunflower seeds contain similar amounts of carbs - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and sunflower seed has 20.6g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or sunflower seeds contain more iron?
Sunflower seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 360% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron.
Does quinoa or sunflower seeds contain more potassium?
Sunflower seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 190% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium.