The short answer
Quinoa nutritional information per 100 g depends on whether it’s cooked. Cooked quinoa has 120 calories, 4.4 g protein, 21.3 g carbs, 2.8 g fiber and 1.9 g fat. Uncooked quinoa has 368 calories, 14.1 g protein, 64.2 g carbs, 7 g fiber and 6.1 g fat. The difference is mostly water.
Quinoa nutritional information per 100g: cooked vs uncooked
All the numbers in this guide come from two USDA FoodData Central records: Quinoa, cooked (FDC 168917) and Quinoa, uncooked (FDC 168874). If you searched for raw or dry quinoa nutrition, you want the uncooked column. USDA uses “uncooked” for the dry seeds as they come out of the bag.
| Per 100 g | Cooked quinoa | Uncooked (dry) quinoa |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 71.6 g | 13.3 g |
| Calories | 120 kcal | 368 kcal |
| Protein | 4.4 g | 14.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21.3 g | 64.2 g |
| of which starch | 17.6 g | 52.2 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g | 7.0 g |
| Sugars | 0.87 g | Not reported |
| Fat | 1.92 g | 6.07 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.23 g | 0.71 g |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 5 mg |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy records 168917 (cooked) and 168874 (uncooked).
Why the cooked and dry numbers look so different
Cooked quinoa is about 72% water, while dry quinoa is about 13%. As the seeds soak up water, the same nutrients spread over roughly three times the weight. By our math from the USDA calories, 100 g of dry quinoa turns into about 300 g of cooked quinoa. That’s why most cooked values are close to a third of the dry ones.
Each column comes from its own lab analysis, so don’t convert one into the other with a single multiplier. Fiber shows why: 7 g dry against 2.8 g cooked is a factor of 2.5, not 3. Quinoa flour is ground dry quinoa, so expect its label to look more like the uncooked column. For flour figures, see our notes on nutrition facts for quinoa flour.
Quinoa calories per 100g and per cup
Cooked quinoa has 120 kcal per 100 g, and dry quinoa has 368 kcal per 100 g. If you boil or steam quinoa in plain water, 120 kcal is the number to use. The USDA cooked record has just 7 mg of sodium and 1.9 g of fat per 100 g, so it reflects quinoa cooked without added oil, butter or salt.
Cooked quinoa by the cup
USDA weighs one cup of cooked quinoa at 185 g. We scaled the per-100 g values to the cup sizes people measure most often.
| Cooked quinoa | Grams | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 185 g | 222 | 8.1 g | 39.4 g | 5.2 g | 3.6 g |
| 3/4 cup | 139 g | 167 | 6.1 g | 29.6 g | 3.9 g | 2.7 g |
| 2/3 cup | 123 g | 148 | 5.4 g | 26.3 g | 3.5 g | 2.4 g |
| 1/2 cup | 93 g | 111 | 4.1 g | 19.7 g | 2.6 g | 1.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 62 g | 74 | 2.7 g | 13.1 g | 1.7 g | 1.2 g |
Source: our calculation from USDA FDC 168917 (1 cup = 185 g), rounded.
So 2/3 cup of cooked quinoa has about 148 calories, and 1/2 cup has about 111. Once quinoa goes into a salad, the dressing and toppings usually add more than the grain itself. Here’s how many calories a quinoa salad adds up to.
Uncooked (dry) quinoa by the cup
USDA weighs one cup of dry quinoa at 170 g, which makes 1/4 cup about 42.5 g.
| Dry quinoa | Grams | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 170 g | 626 | 24.0 g | 109.1 g | 11.9 g | 10.3 g |
| 2/3 cup | 113 g | 417 | 16.0 g | 72.8 g | 7.9 g | 6.9 g |
| 1/2 cup | 85 g | 313 | 12.0 g | 54.6 g | 6.0 g | 5.2 g |
| 1/3 cup | 57 g | 209 | 8.0 g | 36.4 g | 4.0 g | 3.4 g |
| 1/4 cup | 42.5 g | 156 | 6.0 g | 27.3 g | 3.0 g | 2.6 g |
Source: our calculation from USDA FDC 168874 (1 cup = 170 g), rounded.
A 1/4 cup of dry quinoa, about 156 calories, cooks up to about 2/3 to 3/4 cup. Measuring cups vary, and a heaped cup can weigh quite a bit more than a level one. A kitchen scale gives you the most accurate numbers.
Protein in quinoa per 100g
Quinoa has 4.4 g of protein per 100 g cooked and 14.1 g per 100 g uncooked. Half a cup gives you about 4.1 g if it’s cooked and about 12 g if it’s dry. A full cup of cooked quinoa has about 8 g, roughly 16% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
Quinoa is often called a complete protein. We checked that claim against USDA’s amino acid data and the FAO reference pattern for adults. All nine essential amino acids are there. Lysine comes to about 54 mg per gram of protein, above FAO’s 48 mg. Leucine sits just under the reference, at about 98%. For comparison, the same math gives cooked white rice about 36 mg of lysine per gram of protein. This compares amino acid content only. It doesn’t account for how well the protein is digested, so it isn’t an official protein-quality score.
Carbs, fiber and fat in quinoa
Carbs in quinoa per 100 g are 21.3 g cooked and 64.2 g uncooked. In cooked quinoa, 17.6 g of that is starch and 2.8 g is fiber, which leaves about 18.5 g of digestible carbohydrate. Sugars are low, at 0.87 g per 100 g cooked. USDA doesn’t report sugars for uncooked quinoa, so a “0 g” you see on some sites isn’t a measured value.
Fiber comes to 5.2 g per cooked cup, about 18% of the 28 g Daily Value. Fat is 1.92 g per 100 g cooked, and most of it is unsaturated: 1.08 g polyunsaturated, 0.53 g monounsaturated and 0.23 g saturated. The plant omega-3 ALA is small, at 0.085 g per 100 g. How quickly those carbs raise blood sugar is a separate question, covered in our guide to quinoa’s glycemic index and load.
Is quinoa more protein or carb?
It’s mostly carb. In cooked quinoa, about 71% of the calories come from carbohydrate, 15% from protein and 14% from fat. We worked this out from the USDA figures at 4, 4 and 9 calories per gram. That’s a good share of protein for a plant food, but quinoa still counts as a starchy grain portion on your plate.
Vitamins and minerals in quinoa
Quinoa’s strongest points are manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and folate. The percentages below use the FDA Daily Values printed on US nutrition labels.
| Nutrient | Cooked, 100 g | Cooked, 1 cup (185 g) | Uncooked, 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 0.63 mg (27%) | 1.17 mg (51%) | 2.03 mg (88%) |
| Copper | 0.19 mg (21%) | 0.36 mg (39%) | 0.59 mg (66%) |
| Magnesium | 64 mg (15%) | 118 mg (28%) | 197 mg (47%) |
| Phosphorus | 152 mg (12%) | 281 mg (22%) | 457 mg (37%) |
| Folate | 42 µg (10%) | 78 µg (19%) | 184 µg (46%) |
| Zinc | 1.09 mg (10%) | 2.0 mg (18%) | 3.1 mg (28%) |
| Iron | 1.49 mg (8%) | 2.8 mg (15%) | 4.57 mg (25%) |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.11 mg (9%) | 0.20 mg (16%) | 0.36 mg (30%) |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.11 mg (8%) | 0.20 mg (16%) | 0.32 mg (24%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 mg (7%) | 0.23 mg (13%) | 0.49 mg (29%) |
| Vitamin E | 0.63 mg (4%) | 1.17 mg (8%) | 2.44 mg (16%) |
| Selenium | 2.8 µg (5%) | 5.2 µg (9%) | 8.5 µg (15%) |
| Potassium | 172 mg (4%) | 318 mg (7%) | 563 mg (12%) |
Source: USDA FDC 168917 and 168874; % Daily Value calculated by us from FDA Daily Values, rounded.
USDA’s cooked-quinoa record lists vitamins C, B12 and D as zero by assumption rather than lab analysis, and the uncooked record doesn’t report vitamin C at all, so don’t count on quinoa for any of the three. Its folate is natural food folate, with no added folic acid. The USDA records don’t say what color of quinoa was tested, so for the differences between colors, read about red, black and tricolor quinoa.
How much potassium is in quinoa?
Cooked quinoa has 172 mg of potassium per 100 g, or 318 mg per cup, about 7% of the 4,700 mg Daily Value. Dry quinoa has 563 mg per 100 g. Cooked, quinoa has about five times the potassium of cooked white rice, which has 35 mg per 100 g, but it’s still a modest part of a day’s needs.
Quinoa vs rice: calories and nutrients
Per cooked cup, quinoa has a few more calories than white rice and fewer than brown rice. It has more protein, fiber, magnesium and potassium than either one. Per 100 g cooked, quinoa has fewer calories than both: 120 kcal against 130 for white rice and 123 for brown. It only edges past white rice per cup because a cup of cooked quinoa weighs more, 185 g against 158 g.
| Per cooked cup | Quinoa (185 g) | White rice, enriched (158 g) | Brown rice (202 g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 222 | 205 | 248 |
| Protein | 8.1 g | 4.3 g | 5.5 g |
| Carbs | 39.4 g | 44.6 g | 51.7 g |
| Fiber | 5.2 g | 0.6 g | 3.2 g |
| Magnesium | 118 mg | 19 mg | 79 mg |
| Potassium | 318 mg | 55 mg | 174 mg |
| Iron | 2.8 mg | 1.9 mg | 1.1 mg |
| Folate | 78 µg | 153 µg | 18 µg |
Source: our calculation from USDA FDC 168917, 168878 and 169704, using USDA cup weights.
Is quinoa better for you than rice? On these numbers, a cup of quinoa gives you more protein, fiber and minerals. White rice wins on folate only because the USDA record is enriched rice, with folic acid added. If your rice isn’t labeled enriched, expect far less folate. All three are starchy staples, so the better choice depends on what else is on the plate.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to eat quinoa every day?
We found no study showing harm from a daily serving, and none designed to test long-term safety. A 2024 systematic review pooled 7 small trials in which adults ate 15 to 50 g a day for up to 6 months. A separate one-year trial in 138 Chinese adults used about 100 g a day in place of refined rice or flour. Neither the trial nor the review’s summary reports side effects. If you follow a prescribed diet, ask your doctor.
Which is healthier, chia seeds or quinoa?
They do different jobs. One ounce of dried chia seeds (28 g) has 138 calories, 9.8 g of fiber, 179 mg of calcium and 5.1 g of the omega-3 ALA. A cup of cooked quinoa has 222 calories and 8.1 g of protein, with 5.2 g of fiber. Chia is a topping you use by the spoonful. Quinoa is the base of a meal.
Is quinoa gluten-free?
Yes. Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source says people with celiac disease can eat it safely. If you need it strictly gluten-free, check the pack too. The seeds are coated in saponins, which taste bitter. Packaged quinoa is usually pre-rinsed, Harvard notes, though some brands advise rinsing it before cooking.
Why do calorie apps show different numbers for quinoa?
Usually because an entry mixes up dry and cooked weights (see why they differ, above). Some entries are added by users or brands, and some describe quinoa cooked with oil or salt. Check whether the entry says “dry” or “cooked,” then compare it with the USDA values above. When the numbers still disagree, weigh your portion.
How much dry quinoa makes 1 cup cooked?
About 1/3 cup, or roughly 60 g. Quinoa about triples in weight when it cooks, as explained above, and a cup of cooked quinoa weighs 185 g. The exact yield shifts a little with how much water you use and how long you cook it. If you meal-prep a batch, see how long dry and cooked quinoa keep.
Shop Peruvian quinoa flour
We sell quinoa as flour, bought in Peru and shipped from Lima: browse our Peruvian quinoa flour, and check each pack’s label for its own nutrition panel.
- Best seller
Sources
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, 2019. Quinoa, cooked (FDC ID 168917); Quinoa, uncooked (FDC ID 168874); comparison foods: white rice, enriched, cooked (168878), brown rice, cooked (169704) and chia seeds, dried (170554). FoodData Central, SR Legacy.
- US Food and Drug Administration, 2024. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
- FAO, 2013. Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper 92.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source, 2017 (updated 2024). Quinoa.
- Atefi M, Heidari Z, Shojaei M, Askari G, Kesharwani P, Bagherniya M, Sahebkar A, 2024. Does quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) consumption improve blood glucose, body weight and body mass index? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of clinical trials. Current Medicinal Chemistry 31(4):502–513.
- Zeng H, Cai X, Qiu Z, Liang Y, Huang L, 2023. Glucolipid metabolism improvement in impaired glucose tolerance subjects consuming a quinoa-based diet: a randomized parallel clinical trial. Frontiers in Physiology 14:1179587.
