Quinoa, dry
Checked by us One serving: 45 g (about ¼ cup) · 166 kcal
Weighed dry, before cooking.
Lots of magnesium and folate.
Nothing to watch.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (45 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
88.7 mg in one serving: 22% of the 400 mg a day men need, 29% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
82.8 µg in one serving: 21% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
19 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
6.35 g in one serving: 11% of the 56 g a day men need, 14% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Some
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.22 mg in one serving: 17% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.16 mg in one serving: 13% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 15% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
1.4 mg in one serving: 13% of the 11 mg a day men need, 18% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
1.88 mg in one serving: 12% of the 16 mg a day men need, 13% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
2.06 mg in one serving: 26% of the 8 mg a day men need, 11% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.14 mg in one serving: 11% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 13% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
21.2 mg in one serving: 8% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
3.15 g in one serving: 8% of the 38 g a day men need, 13% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
253 mg in one serving: 7% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 10% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
1.1 mg in one serving: 7% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
117 mg in one serving: 7% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 11% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
3.83 µg in one serving: 7% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
31.6 mg in one serving: 6% of the 550 mg a day men need, 7% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
21.2 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0.45 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
Missing from our databases for this food, so left out, not counted as zero: vitamin C.
Watch out
How we counted this
Checked for cadmium and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchThe measurement is in a unit that can’t be compared with the limit, so there is no gram figure.
Learn more
One serving carries 1.24 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 7% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 7% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 15 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 6.9% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 2.43 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
+6.9% on the 35 µg/day average; below the doubling line. Range 34.26-65.62 µg/kg: every sample 34 µg/kg or above (whether that is a floor near the method's quantification limit is not stated in what I read).
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Oxalate: 143–715 mg per 100 g in the sources we hold. · Manzanilla 2024, Mukunzi 2025, Siener 2006 · grade A, B
We haven’t rated this food for oxalate. We count only a figure that comes from a grade A or B source and says it was measured per 100 g of the food as eaten, and none of the figures here does both.
Phytate: 120–1,340 mg per 100 g as eaten. · FAO 2018 · grade B
Phytate (also written InsP6, IP6 or phytic acid), the form in which plants store phosphorus, is found in whole grains, beans and nuts. It binds zinc in the gut and lowers how much zinc and plant (non-heme) iron you absorb. No limit applies.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Zinc fact sheet · NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Iron fact sheet
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 1
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
No agency limit or reference value exists for quinoa saponins. The paper cites a human bitterness-detection threshold of 0.11%; polished grain exceeds it, boiled polished grain (0.06) does not. Haemolytic in principle; rat and Caco-2 permeability effect (Ballegaard 2021). Context only; not scored.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 45 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
For magnesium: no other starchy sides we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 45 g.
For folate: no other starchy sides we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 45 g.
None of the 3 other starchy sides we could compare gives clearly more nutrients per serving.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Sweet potato, boiled- 34 kcal in 45 g (this food: 166)
- More vitamin A (354 µg vs 0.45 µg)
- Less magnesium (8.1 mg vs 88.7 mg)
- Less folate (2.7 µg vs 82.8 µg)
Whole-wheat bread- 114 kcal in 45 g (this food: 166)
- More selenium (11.6 µg vs 3.83 µg)
- Less folate (18.9 µg vs 82.8 µg)
- Less magnesium (34.5 mg vs 88.7 mg)
2 foods out of the 3 other starchy sides we’ve checked and could compare give clearly more nutrients, protein and fibre per calorie.
None of the 5 other starchy sides we could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Sweet potato, baked (Worth knowing: acrylamide).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Quinoa, dry (uncooked)
How the serving was set: 45 g dry (Health Canada C.7, grains)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.26 g | 0.12 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Calcium | 47 mg | 21.15 mg | 12.77 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 79 mg | 35.55 mg | 21.47 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| 47 mg | 21.15 mg | 12.77 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4495 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 64.16 g | 28.87 g | 17.43 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Choline | 70.2 mg | 31.59 mg | 19.08 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Energy | 368 kcal | 165.6 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.047 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Fat | 6.07 g | 2.73 g | 1.65 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 5 g | 2.25 g | 1.36 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.706 g | 0.32 g | 0.19 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Fibre | 7 g | 3.15 g | 1.9 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 7 g | 3.15 g | 1.9 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Folate | 184 µg | 82.8 µg | 50 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Iron | 4.57 mg | 2.06 mg | 1.24 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 7.8 mg | 3.51 mg | 2.12 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Magnesium | 197 mg | 88.65 mg | 53.53 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 210 mg | 94.5 mg | 57.07 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 4.187 mg | 1.88 mg | 1.14 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4495 | C |
| Phosphorus | 457 mg | 205.65 mg | 124.18 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 230 mg | 103.5 mg | 62.5 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Potassium | 563 mg | 253.35 mg | 152.99 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 780 mg | 351 mg | 211.96 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Protein | 14.12 g | 6.35 g | 3.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 13.8 g | 6.21 g | 3.75 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.318 mg | 0.14 mg | 0.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0.4 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.11 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Selenium | 8.5 µg | 3.83 µg | 2.31 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Sodium | 5 mg | 2.25 mg | 1.36 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 61 mg | 27.45 mg | 16.58 mg | second database · not used · 12.2× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.36 mg | 0.16 mg | 0.1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0.2 mg | 0.09 mg | 0.05 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 1 µg | 0.45 µg | 0.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.487 mg | 0.22 mg | 0.13 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Vitamin E | 2.44 mg | 1.1 mg | 0.66 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Water | 13.28 g | 5.98 g | 3.61 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 11.5 g | 5.18 g | 3.13 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Zinc | 3.1 mg | 1.4 mg | 0.84 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 3.3 mg | 1.49 mg | 0.9 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 8 µg | 3.6 µg | 2.17 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Copper | 0.59 mg | 0.27 mg | 0.16 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0.82 mg | 0.37 mg | 0.22 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Ash | 2.38 g | 1.07 g | 0.65 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Starch | 52.22 g | 23.5 g | 14.19 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Energy | 1,539 kj | 692.55 kj | 418.21 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 14 iu | 6.3 iu | 3.8 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 1 µg | 0.45 µg | 0.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.08 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 4.55 mg | 2.05 mg | 1.24 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.35 mg | 0.16 mg | 0.1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin K (Menaquinone-4) | 1.1 µg | 0.5 µg | 0.3 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Folate, food | 184 µg | 82.8 µg | 50 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 184 µg | 82.8 µg | 50 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Betaine | 630.4 mg | 283.68 mg | 171.3 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.167 g | 0.08 g | 0.05 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Threonine | 0.421 g | 0.19 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.504 g | 0.23 g | 0.14 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Leucine | 0.84 g | 0.38 g | 0.23 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Lysine | 0.766 g | 0.34 g | 0.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Methionine | 0.309 g | 0.14 g | 0.08 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Cystine | 0.203 g | 0.09 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.593 g | 0.27 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.267 g | 0.12 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Valine | 0.594 g | 0.27 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Arginine | 1.091 g | 0.49 g | 0.3 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Histidine | 0.407 g | 0.18 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Alanine | 0.588 g | 0.26 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 1.134 g | 0.51 g | 0.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 1.865 g | 0.84 g | 0.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Glycine | 0.694 g | 0.31 g | 0.19 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Proline | 0.773 g | 0.35 g | 0.21 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Serine | 0.567 g | 0.26 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.6 g | 0.27 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.037 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.42 g | 0.64 g | 0.39 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 2.977 g | 1.34 g | 0.81 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.26 g | 0.12 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.009 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.047 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.093 g | 0.04 g | 0.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.083 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.613 g | 0.73 g | 0.44 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 3.292 g | 1.48 g | 0.89 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.01 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 24:1 c | 0.017 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 21:5 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| PUFA 22:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 163 µg | 73.35 µg | 44.29 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Manganese | 2.033 mg | 0.91 mg | 0.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 1.52 mg | 0.68 mg | 0.41 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 2.9 mg | 1.31 mg | 0.79 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.772 mg | 0.35 mg | 0.21 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168874 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #14-843 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 7% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Bielecka 2022 · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · +6.9% on the 35 µg/day average; below the doubling line. Range 34.26-65.62 µg/kg: every sample 34 µg/kg or above (whether that is a floor near the method's quantification limit is not stated in what I read). · Bielecka 2022 · B
- Saponins · Context · No agency limit or reference value exists for quinoa saponins. The paper cites a human bitterness-detection threshold of 0.11%; polished grain exceeds it, boiled polished grain (0.06) does not. Haemolytic in principle; rat and Caco-2 permeability effect (Ballegaard 2021). Context only; not scored. · Mhada 2020 · B
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- fodmap excess fructose: none: fructose 0.13 and glucose 0.26 g/100 g dry matter (fructose below glucose; EF cell '-') g/100 g · dry matter · commercially sourced quinoa, either whole grain milled to 0.5 mm or commercial flour used as supplied (which one not stated); not cooked · grade A · Ispiryan 2020
- fodmap fructan: n.d. (below 0.1 g/100 g dry matter) g/100 g · dry matter · commercially sourced quinoa, either whole grain milled to 0.5 mm or commercial flour used as supplied (which one not stated); not cooked · grade A · Ispiryan 2020
- fodmap gos: raffinose/stachyose 0.09 +/- 0.00 g/100 g dry matter; verbascose n.d.; the lowest of the Group II ingredients g/100 g · dry matter · commercially sourced quinoa, either whole grain milled to 0.5 mm or commercial flour used as supplied (which one not stated); not cooked · grade A · Ispiryan 2020
- fodmap gos: raffinose 0.87 +/- 0.05 + stachyose 0.51 +/- 0.01 mmol/100 g dry matter (total RFO 1.38 +/- 0.06; enzymatic 1.42); = 0.78 g/100 g dry matter by Foodtopsy's arithmetic (MW 504.4 and 666.6) g/100 g (converted by me from mmol/100 g) · dry matter · raw whole-grain flour; seeds 'purchased from the local market of Bengaluru', moisture below 7%, milled to 0.6 mm · grade A · Manoharlal 2020
- fodmap polyols: sorbitol and mannitol not detected; a peak of 0.28 +/- 0.01 g/100 g dry matter is an unidentified cyclitol 'estimated as sorbitol' (suspected chiro-inositol, myo-inositol or pinitol), NOT a polyol g/100 g · dry matter · commercially sourced quinoa, either whole grain milled to 0.5 mm or commercial flour used as supplied (which one not stated); not cooked · grade A · Ispiryan 2020
- oxalate total: 396.9 to 715.2 mg/100 g across three varieties mg/100 g · not stated (raw defatted flour) · raw defatted quinoa flour · grade A · Manzanilla 2024
- oxalate total: 5.42 +/- 0.33 mg/g (roasted 3.86 +/- 0.04) mg/100 g · as-is flour (moisture 7.99%) · native tri-colour quinoa flour · grade A · Mukunzi 2025
- oxalate total: family range only: total 143 to 232 mg/100 g and soluble 59 to 131 mg/100 g in 'roots and nuts' of Polygonaceae, Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae; quinoa named as a Chenopodiaceae species; the quinoa-specific figure is NOT in the abstract mg/100 g · not stated · family-level range only; preparation not stated · grade B · Siener 2006
- phytate: 7.92 to 8.93 g/kg dry matter (three batches) = 792 to 893 mg/100 g dry matter g/kg · dry matter · raw quinoa grains, milled; Bolivian grains purchased in Cochabamba and Lund · grade A · Castroalba 2019
- phytate: 8.80 +/- 0.27 g/kg dry matter = 880 mg/100 g dry matter g/kg · dry matter · raw quinoa flour, milled from grains of Bolivian origin purchased at the ICA supermarket in Lund, Sweden, in 2015 · grade A · Castroalba 2019
- phytate: 1.97, 2.13, 2.21 g/100 g (black, yellow, red) = 1970 to 2210 mg/100 g mg/100 g · not stated (defatted flour) · raw defatted quinoa flour of three commercially grown varieties · grade A · Manzanilla 2024
- phytate: 2.94 +/- 0.10 mg/g (roasted 1.88 +/- 0.13) mg/100 g · as-is flour (moisture 7.99%) · native tri-colour quinoa flour (NTQF) · grade A · Mukunzi 2025
- phytate: 1.07 +/- 0.01 (white), 1.03 +/- 0.03 (red), 1.22 +/- 0.01 (black) g/100 g d.b. = 1030 to 1220 mg/100 g dry matter mg/100 g · dry basis (d.b.) · raw quinoa samples (before desaponification, soaking or germination); n = 3 · grade A · Maldonado 2023
- phytate: 120 mg/100 g (India, IFCT 2017, 'Quinoa, raw', column PHYTCPP) mg/100 g · fresh weight (as in PhyFoodComp; water 10.43 g/100 g) · raw · grade B · FAO 2018
- phytate: 1340 mg/100 g (Germany, 'Quinoa flour', Hager 2012, column PHYTCA, colorimetric) mg/100 g · fresh weight (water 12.3) · commercial quinoa flour, supplier Ziegler Naturprodukte · grade B · FAO 2018
- phytate: phytate (InsP6) 549.39 mg/100 g FW; IP5 24.45; sum 573.85 (Spain, whole quinoa flour, Iglesias-Puig 2015) mg/100 g · fresh weight (water 10.3) · whole-grain quinoa flour · grade B · FAO 2018
- phytate: 844 +/- 51 mg/100 g dry matter (range 752 to 926), n = 10; Phy:Zn 25.0 mg/100 g · dry matter · raw quinoa grains bought in a Cochabamba city market (Table 1: 'Raw grains') · grade A · Castroalba 2019
Sources
- Bielecka J, Markiewicz-Żukowska R, Puścion-Jakubik A, Grabia M, et al. Gluten-free cereals and pseudocereals as a potential source of exposure to toxic elements among Polish residents. Nutrients 2022;14(11):2342 · doi:10.3390/nu14112342 · PMID 35684142
bielecka2022· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Castro-Alba V, Lazarte CE, Bergenståhl B, Granfeldt Y. Phytate, iron, zinc, and calcium content of common Bolivian foods and their estimated mineral bioavailability. Food Sci Nutr 2019 · doi:10.1002/fsn3.1127 · PMID 31572579
castroalba2019-chapare· full text read · open access per Europe PMC (PMC6766547); licence not re-checked - Castro-Alba V, Lazarte CE, Perez-Rea D, Sandberg AS, et al. Effect of fermentation and dry roasting on the nutritional quality and sensory attributes of quinoa. Food Sci Nutr 2019 Dec · doi:10.1002/fsn3.1247 · PMID 31890168
castroalba2019-fsn· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Castro-Alba V, Lazarte CE, Perez-Rea D, Carlsson NG, et al. Fermentation of pseudocereals quinoa, canihua, and amaranth to improve mineral accessibility through degradation of phytate. J Sci Food Agric 2019 · doi:10.1002/jsfa.9793 · PMID 31062366
castroalba2019-jsfa· full text read · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - FAO/INFOODS, Phytate and phytic-acid composition database PhyFoodComp 1.0 (2018), sheet 01 rows 01060075, 01060076, 01060219-01060222
fao-phyfoodcomp-2018· full text read · FAO/INFOODS terms (not re-checked) - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Ispiryan L, Zannini E, Arendt EK. Characterization of the FODMAP-profile in cereal-product ingredients. J Cereal Sci 2020;92:102916. · doi:10.1016/j.jcs.2020.102916
ispiryan2020· full text read · journal pre-proof copy from the UCC repository (CORA) - Maldonado-Alvarado P, Pavón-Vargas DJ, Abarca-Robles J, Valencia-Chamorro S, Haros CM, et al. Effect of germination on the nutritional properties, phytic acid content, and phytase activity of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). Foods 2023;12(2):389 · doi:10.3390/foods12020389 · PMID 36673480
maldonado2023· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Manoharlal R, Saiprasad GVS, Madhavakrishna K. Evaluation of mono-, di- and oligo-saccharides of staple Indian grain flours. J Microbiol Biotechnol Food Sci 2020;9(4):799-804 · doi:10.15414/jmbfs.2020.9.4.799-804
manoharlal2020· full text read · Publisher copyright (journal article) - Manzanilla-Valdez ML, Boesch C, Orfila C, Montaño S. Unveiling the nutritional spectrum: a comprehensive analysis of protein quality and antinutritional factors in three varieties of quinoa. Food Chem X 2024 (published Dec 30):101814 · doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101814 · PMID 39310886
manzanilla2024· full text read · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 - Mhada M, Metougui ML, El Hazzam K, El Kacimi K, et al. Variations of saponins, minerals and total phenolic compounds due to processing and cooking of quinoa. Foods 2020;9(5):660 · doi:10.3390/foods9050660 · PMID 32443894
mhada2020· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Mukunzi Y, Aryee ANA. Effect of dry roasting on the physicochemical, nutritional, and techno-functional properties of tri-color quinoa flours. Foods 2025;14(18):3237 · doi:10.3390/foods14183237 · PMID 41008209
mukunzi2025· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Siener R, Hönow R, Voss S, Seidler A, Hesse A. Oxalate content of cereals and cereal products. J Agric Food Chem 2006;54:3008-3011 (seen only through Front Nutr 2022; 9:888974, PMC9196906) · doi:10.1021/jf052776v · PMID 16608223 · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
siener2006· secondary source · Publisher copyright (journal article)
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.