Quinoa vs White rice: nutrition per 100 g

Quinoa is a seed from the Andes that cooks like a grain, and IFCT 2017 places it among the cereals and millets. Per 100 g raw, it has 328 kcal against 356 kcal for white rice, and much less carbohydrate, 53.6 g against 78.2 g; quinoa ranks last of the 14 cereals and millets for carbohydrate, while rice ranks 1st. Quinoa has 13.1 g of protein, about 1.7 times the 7.9 g in rice, and ranks 2nd in its group for protein.

Fibre is the widest macro gap. Quinoa has 14.7 g per 100 g, about 5.2 times the 2.8 g in white rice, ranking 25th of 256 foods. Quinoa also carries more fat, 5.5 g against 0.5 g, mostly unsaturated, including 204 mg of the plant omega-3 fat ALA.

Quinoa has 7.51 mg of iron per 100 g, about 11.6 times the 0.65 mg in white rice, and covers 40 per cent of a man's daily iron need and 26 per cent of a woman's. IFCT 2017 lists 198 mg of calcium against 7 mg in rice, which would cover 20 per cent of an adult's need. Magnesium (119 mg against 19 mg), potassium (474 mg against 108 mg) and zinc (3.31 mg against 1.21 mg) all favour quinoa too; it ranks 1st of 14 cereals and millets for zinc and potassium. White rice, by contrast, ranks last in its group for iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc.

Quinoa has 0.83 mg of thiamine per 100 g against 0.05 mg in white rice, and ranks 4th of 239 foods for thiamine. Its 173 micrograms of folate covers 58 per cent of a man's daily need and 79 per cent of a woman's, against 3 and 4 per cent for rice. Vitamin E is 2.08 mg against 0.04 mg. Niacin is the one vitamin where the two are level, 1.7 mg and 1.69 mg. Quinoa's natural coating of saponins tastes bitter, so it should be rinsed well before cooking.

White rice is grown in nearly every Indian state, costs little and sits at the centre of idli, dosa, pongal, biryani, khichdi and the daily dal-chawal. Quinoa is newer to India, mostly sold in packets in cities, and costs much more. It can stand in for rice in upma, pulao, khichdi and lemon rice, though its texture is lighter and slightly crunchy. Both are free of gluten. The figures on this page are for raw grain or seed; both absorb water when cooked and weigh more on the plate.