metaboliq
Quinoa nutrition, per serving and per 100 g
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 131 kcal | 328 kcal |
| Protein | 5.2 g | 13.1 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 21.5 g | 53.6 g |
| Dietary fibre | 5.9 g | 14.7 g |
| Fat | 2.2 g | 5.5 g |
Serving: 40 g raw, which cooks to about one katori, weighed raw as IFCT reports it. IFCT 2017 food code A009, "Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)", the mean of 1 region sampled. IFCT does not report glycaemic index, so this page prints none.
The verdict on quinoa
Fibre-rich carb
Your measured grain or pulse: at least 8 g of fibre in every 100 g.
- 4 g of protein for every 100 kcal.
- One serving gives 5.2 g of the roughly 58 g of protein a day ICMR-NIN's RDA sets for a 70 kg adult.
- 5.9 g of fibre in a serving.
How quinoa fits a plan that loses fat and keeps muscle
IFCT 2017 gives quinoa 13.1 g of protein and 14.7 g of fibre per 100 g, both above white rice. Calories are similar to other grains at 328 kcal per 100 g, so quinoa is a better katori, not a free one.
On a muscle-keeping plan, quinoa's extra protein is a small bonus rather than a solution. A katori gives 5.2 g of the roughly 58 g a day an average adult needs; dal, paneer, egg or fish still carry the bulk. Use quinoa where it makes the meal easier to stick to, in a pulao, upma or salad.
Quinoa in an Indian kitchen
Rinse quinoa well before cooking to wash off its bitter coating, then cook it like rice, one part grain to two parts water, until the little tails appear. It replaces rice in a pulao or a khichdi, or makes a cold salad with chickpeas, cucumber, onion and lemon. Quinoa upma with vegetables is an easy swap for suji. It costs several times more than millets, which give similar nutrition, so jowar, bajra or ragi are fair everyday alternatives.
Pair it, or swap it
Quinoa upma with vegetables and a side of curd, or a quinoa salad with chana and cucumber, makes a filling, protein-rich lunch.
Worth knowing
Rinse quinoa well before cooking to remove its bitter coating. It is a sound choice, but no grain is required; local millets do much of the same job.
Quinoa against similar foods
| Food | Energy | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinoa | 328 kcal | 13.1 g | 14.7 g |
| White rice, raw | 356 kcal | 7.9 g | 2.8 g |
| Barley, raw | 316 kcal | 10.9 g | 15.6 g |
| Ragi flour | 321 kcal | 7.2 g | 11.2 g |