Quinoa - Carbs, Glycemic Index, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins & much more

Picture of Quinoa

Quinoa consists of 5% fat, 15% protein, 58% carbs, 7% fiber and 12% water. Quinoa has 347 calories per 100g, that is 108% higher than other foods in Cereals and flours. In total 13% of the calories in Quinoa are from fat, 17% from protein and 67% from carbohydrates.

  • Low Glycemic Index Glycemic Index: 35
  • High in carbs 11.6g carbohydrates per portion of 20g
  • Low Glycemic Load Glycemic Load: 4.1
  • High in zinc Covers 0.1% of Zinc RDA per portion
  • High in iron Covers 0.1% of Iron RDA per portion
  • High in magnesium Covers 0.1% of Magnesium RDA per portion
  • High in potassium Covers 0.0% of Potassium RDA per portion
  • High in folate Covers 0.0% of Folate / Vitamin B9 RDA per portion
  • High in vitamin B1 Covers 0.1% of Vitamin B1 RDA per portion
On this page you will find information on:

Can you eat Quinoa for a low carb diet?

With 11.6g of carbs and a Glycemic Load of 4.1 in a portion of 20g, Quinoa should be avoided for a ketogenic diet due to the high percentage of carbs. Quinoa contains low amounts of Fructose, is Gluten free and has no Lactose.

Quinoa: nutrition facts & data

Nutrition facts
per 100g 		Quinoa
avg Cereals and flours[1]
Calories (kcal) 347.0 319.8
Fat (g) 5.0 2.3
Protein (g) 15.0 9.1
Carbohydrates (g) 58.0 62.5
Mono- & Di-Saccharides (g) 1.0 62.5
Polysaccharides (g) 57.0 62.5
Fibers (g) 6.6 7.1
Sodium (mg) 10.0 5.3
Water (g) 12.0 17.6
[1] average of Cereals and flours

Breakdown in percent (%) of total calories

An average portion size (20g) of Quinoa contains:

  • 69.4 Calories
  • 1.0g of Fat
  • 3.0g of Protein
  • and 11.6g of Carbs
  • 2.0mg of sodium - 0.0% of the RDA for sodium.
  • 55.0mg of Magnesium, that covers 0.1% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Magnesium.
  • 0.5mg of Zinc - 0.1% of the RDA for Zinc.
  • 1.6mg of Iron - 0.1% of the RDA for Iron.
  • 161.0mg of Potassium - 0.0% of the RDA for Potassium.
  • 0.8mg of Vitamin C - 0.0% of the RDA for Vitamin C.
  • No Vitamin B12

For every gram of carbs in Quinoa you get

  • 0.26 grams of protein compared to the average of 0.46g per gram of carbs among all foods. Other foods in Cereals and flours have on average 0.15g of proteins per 1 gram of carbs.
  • 0.09 grams of fat (total average 0.66g, other foods in Cereals and flours 0.04g)
  • 0.11 grams of fibers (total average 0.13g, other foods in Cereals and flours 0.11g)

Nutrient distribution per gram

What vitamins are in Quinoa?

Vitamins
per 100g 		Quinoa
avg[1]
Vitamin C (mg) 4.0 0.2
Vitamin E (mg) 0.1 1.2
Vitamin B1 / Thiamine (mg) 0.5 0.3
Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.1 0.1
Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.1 0.3
Vitamin B9 / Folate (μg) 50.0 48.8
Vitamin B12 (μg) 0.0 0.0
Retinol (μg) 0.0 0.0
beta-Carotene (μg) 0.0
[1] average of Cereals and flours

Is Quinoa rich in vitamins?

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The following chart displays the amount of vitamins per portion Size (20g) for Quinoa of the recommended daily allowance (RDA[1]) for each vitamin in percent.

[1]Avg. RDA for a 19-30 year old adult
Learn more about RDA values for vitamins by clicking on the names in the table above.

Minerals in Quinoa

Minerals
per 100g 		Quinoa
avg[1]
Magnesium (mg) 275.0 92.7
Zinc (mg) 2.5 2.2
Sodium (mg) 10.0 5.3
Calcium (mg) 80.0 34.2
Iron (mg) 8.0 3.0
Potassium (mg) 805.0 298.5
Phosphorus (mg) 330.0 257.3
[1] average of Cereals and flours

Is Quinoa high in minerals?

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Again, for every mineral contained in Quinoa we looked at the portion size (20g) and applied it to the recommended daily allowance (RDA[1]). Data is shown in percent of RDA per portion size.

[1]RDA for a 19-30 year old adult
Learn more about RDA values for minerals by clicking on the names in the table above.

Carbohydrates in Quinoa

58.0% of Quinoa are carbs, per serving of 20g that makes 11.6g of carbs.

Monosachharides and polysaccharides

Sugars
per 100g 		Quinoa
avg[1]
Monosaccharides (g) 1.0 1.4
Polysaccharides (g) 57.0 60.3
Total carbs (g) 58.0 62.5
[1] average of Cereals and flours

How high are the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load for Quinoa?

The Glycemic Index of Quinoa is 35, which would be considered as low. The Glycemic Load in a normal serving is 4.1 and can be regarded as low.

Allergens in Quinoa

  • is Gluten free
  • has no Lactose
  • low amounts of Fructose

Fatty acids and cholesterol in Quinoa

Of the 5.0g total fat per 100g in Quinoa, 0.5g are saturated fatty acids (SFA), 2.6g are monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and 1.3g are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The amount of cholesterol is 0.0mg.