Quinoa vs. Wheat Germ

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Wheat Germ


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 germ (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • Quinoa has 6.2 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
  • Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron, potassium and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa and wheat germ 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 Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Wheat Germ src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat germ has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Wheat Germ
Protein 15% 24%
Carbohydrates 71% 54%
Fat 14% 23%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 59% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Wheat germ has 371% more dietary fiber than quinoa - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and it has 426% more protein than quinoa - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Quinoa has 6.2 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Quinoa has more Vitamin E than wheat germ - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Quinoa Wheat Germ
Thiamin 0.107 MG 1.882 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.499 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 6.813 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 2.257 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 1.3 MG
Folate 42 UG 281 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wheat germ has 129% more calcium than quinoa - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 320% more iron than quinoa - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Wheat germ is an excellent source of potassium and it has 419% more potassium than quinoa - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Wheat Germ
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.723 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.723 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Wheat Germ
linoleic acid 0.974 G 5.287 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 G 5.287 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 Germ .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .

Cooked Quinoa g

()
Daily Values (%)

Wheat Germ g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does wheat germ or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat germ and quinoa are high in calories. Wheat germ has 200% more calories than quinoa - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Does wheat germ or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 60% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat germ or quinoa contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 320% more iron than quinoa - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

Does wheat germ or quinoa contain more potassium?
Wheat germ is a rich source of potassium and it has 420% more potassium than quinoa - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.