In this post & video I am going to analyse the nutrition facts of quinoa & explain some of its health benefits.
Quinoa is a pseudocereal often consumed after cooking.
In the year of 2020 Peru was the largest producer of quinoa followed by Bolivia & Ecuador all three south American countries.
Contents
Nutritional profile | Water | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Vitamins, minerals & health benefits | Conclusion |
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Prashanth Reddy Cheruku
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I created this platform with a mission: to educate people worldwide about Food Science, Nutrition & Preventive Healthcare. Our ultimate goal is to enhance both lifespan and healthspan—not just for people, but for PETS too!
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I am a qualified Food Engineer & Sports Nutritionist with over 13 years of research & content creation experience. My academic background includes:
🎓 Master of Technology in Food Process Engineering
📍 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur
Nutritional profile of Quinoa
| Percentage | 1 Cup (185 g) | |
| Water | 71.6% | 132 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21.3% | 39.4 g |
| Dietary fibre | 2.8% | 5.18 g |
| Sugars | 0.87% | 1.61 g |
| Total Fat | 1.92% | 3.55 g |
| Protein | 4.4% | 8.14 g |
| Energy | – | 222 Cal/ 931 kJ |
Water
The major portion of cooked quinoa is taken up by water. It weighs 71.6% of the total weight of this food item.
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Carbohydrates
The major nutrient present in quinoa that provides energy is carbohydrate. 21.3% of the total weight of this food item is carbohydrate out of which 17.6% is starch.
About 2.8% of the total weight of quinoa is dietary fibre. We can say that it is moderately good in its fibre content. A cup (i.e. 185 g) of cooked quinoa provides about 5.2 g of dietary fibre.
Sugars constitute less than 1% of its total weight.
Fat & Protein
Quinoa contains less than 2% fat. A cup provides 3.5 g of fat.
Quinoa is not a good source of protein. It weighs about 4.4% of the total weight of this food item. A cup provides about 8 g of protein.
Energy
Quinoa is a moderate energy food. A cup of it provides 222 Cal or 931 kJ of energy.
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Vitamins, minerals & Health benefits
Quinoa is an excellent source of several vitamins & minerals. In fact, it is one of the best sources of micronutrients that I have ever seen.
This food item is an excellent source of vitamins such as folate, thiamin and riboflavin.
Folate is a vital nutrient especially during the pre-pregnancy & the early stages of pregnancy.
Thiamine helps convert the food we eat into energy.
Riboflavin is an essential component of coenzymes that are important for the growth & development of cells.
Quinoa is also a very good source of vitamin B6 and moderately good source of Choline & vitamin E.
Quinoa is an excellent source of minerals such as manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc & iron.
Manganese helps in bone formation, immune response and as a cofactor for many enzymes in our body.
Copper works with iron in forming red blood cells. It also helps in iron absorption.
Magnesium also plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure, blood glucose and heartbeat.
The other minerals such as phosphorus, zinc & iron also have several essential functions in our body.
Quinoa is also a moderately good source of selenium & potassium.
In fact, it is very rare for a single food item to contain these many minerals in good quantities.
Quinoa by nature is very low in sodium. Hence it does not raise blood pressure in sensitive individuals with hypertension.
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Conclusion
- Quinoa is a moderate calorie pseudocereal with excellent quantities of several vitamins & minerals.
- It is a moderately good source of dietary fibre & protein. It contains very less amount of sugars.
- A few vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, K and some B-vitamins are missing in quinoa.
- Overall quinoa is one of the best food items available in the world and I would seriously recommend you to consume about a cup of it frequently.
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