Quinoa vs. Cheddar Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa and Cheddar Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
quinoa
versus
cheddar cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and cheddar cheese:
- Both quinoa and cheddar cheese are high in calories.
- Cheddar cheese has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa.
- Cheddar cheese has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheddar cheese.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A, calcium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than cheddar cheese, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than quinoa.
- Quinoa has more thiamin and niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 236% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheddar cheese per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for cheddar cheese, 23:3:74 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 3% |
| Fat | 15% | 74% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cheddar cheese has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Quinoa is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheddar cheese - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Quinoa and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 420% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and quinoa has 99% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Quinoa has less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than quinoa - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than quinoa - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheddar cheese and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Quinoa has more thiamin and niacin, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both quinoa and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Quinoa | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.029 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.428 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 0.059 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.41 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Folate | 42 UG | 27 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.1 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 40 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Quinoa has 964% more iron than cheddar cheese - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Quinoa has 126% more potassium than cheddar cheese - quinoa has 172mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, cheddar cheese has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheddar cheese per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 85 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 53 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than cheddar cheese per 100 grams, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than quinoa per 100 grams. Both quinoa and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Quinoa | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.114 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.017 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.142 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both quinoa and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Quinoa | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 1.171 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| Total | 0.974 G | 1.207 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) .
Cooked Quinoa g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does quinoa or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 240% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does quinoa or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cheddar cheese has 5.3 times fewer carbohydrates than quinoa - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Cheddar cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 40 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.