Calories in quinoa

Cooked. 120 kcal (502 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

Cooked quinoa is a seed eaten like a grain, and about 72% of its weight is water once boiled. At 120 kcal (502 kJ) per 100 g, most of its energy comes from starch, with a modest 4.4 g of protein and 1.9 g of fat. It contains all nine essential amino acids, which is less common among plant foods, and it is naturally gluten-free.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• Dry quinoa has 368 kcal per 100 g. It roughly triples in weight as it absorbs water, which is why cooked quinoa drops to 120 kcal per 100 g, so always note whether a weight is dry or cooked.
• One cup of cooked quinoa (185 g) provides 222 kcal / 929 kJ, about 8 g of protein and 5 g of fibre; half a cup (92 g) is 110 kcal / 462 kJ.
• Magnesium is the standout mineral: a cup supplies about 118 mg, roughly 28% of the Daily Value, plus useful amounts of manganese, iron (2.8 mg) and folate (78 µg).
• Rinse quinoa before cooking, because the seed coat carries bitter compounds called saponins. Rinsing changes the taste, not the calories.

Converting these figures

One 1 cup, cooked of quinoa is 222 kcal, which is 929 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 199 g of quinoa to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.