What Are the Differences Between Quinoa and Brown Rice? What’s healthier? Here’s what you need to know about these powerful whole grains.
Quinoa or Rice: Which is Better? Let’s think for a moment. These powerful whole grains are both part of a healthy diet. But is there a clear winner between the two? What are some of the main differences? Here’s a breakdown.
Quinoa vs. Rice: Overview
First, let’s discuss the definition of each of these grains. In fact, one of them isn’t grain at all.
- What is quinoa? Quinoa is a seed, not a grain: it’s harvested from a plant related to spinach, beets, and chard. Because of its similar properties, it is often referred to as a grain. Quinoa is an Andean plant native to Peru and Bolivia.
- what is rice Rice is a seed of grass species. It is the world’s most consumed staple food, a staple for more than 3.5 billion people worldwide. There are many types of rice: white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice, etc.
Quinoa vs. Rice: Nutrition Facts
Now let’s review the nutritional differences between quinoa and rice. Here is the basic nutritional information for 1 cup of cooked quinoa compared to 1 cup of cooked rice:
| ingredient | calories | protein | crabs | fiber | Large |
| Andean millet | 222 | 8 grams | 39 grams | 5 grams | 4 grams |
| Brown rice | 216 | 5 grams | 44 grams | 3.5 grams | 1.8 grams |
| white rice | 204 | 4 grams | 42 grams | 0.6 grams | 0.5 grams |
Data sources: Quinoa Nutrition, Brown Rice Nutrition, White Rice Nutrition
nutrient comparison
To get the full picture of quinoa vs. rice, you need to look at the nutrients too! Here is the breakdown of the nutrients:
- Andean millet is a good source of antioxidants and minerals. It provides more magnesium, iron and zinc than many conventional grains.
- Brown rice has many nutrients. It’s a good source of folic acid, riboflavin, potassium, calcium and manganese.
- white rice does not contain any of the beneficial nutrients found in brown rice.
Why Does White Rice Contain Less Nutrients? It’s more processed. White rice is stripped of the husk, bran and germ during processing. Brown rice receives nutrient-rich bran and germ and only the hull was removed. Therefore, brown rice retains nutrients that white rice lacks, such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Glycemic Index
Another measure to consider is the glycemic index. The glycemic index (GI) value shows how a food affects a person’s blood sugar levels. A low reading indicates that food has less of an impact on your blood sugar, so low readings are good here. This is especially relevant for people with diabetes. The stats range from low GI: 1 to 55, medium GI: 56 to 69, and high GI: 70 and up. (Learn more at the Mayo Clinic.)
- Andean millet has a glycemic index of 53, making it a low glycemic index food. (The source)
- Brown rice has a glycemic index of 68, an average level. (The source)
- white rice has a glycemic index of 73, a high level. (The source)
Quinoa vs. Rice: Which is Healthier?
In the table above, you can see the following differences between quinoa and brown rice:
- Calories and carbohydrates: Quinoa has similar calories and carbohydrates to rice.
- Protein: Quinoa contains 1.6 times more protein than brown rice and twice as much as white rice.
- Fiber: Quinoa contains 1.5 times more fiber than brown rice. White rice has virtually no fiber.
- Large: Quinoa and rice are both low-fat foods, but quinoa has twice the fat of brown rice.
- Nutrient: Quinoa and rice are packed with beneficial nutrients.
- Glycemic Index: Quinoa has a low GI, brown rice has a medium GI, and white rice has a high GI.
At the end of the line: Both quinoa and brown rice are part of a healthy diet! Quinoa has several advantages: It contains more protein and fiber than brown rice. Quinoa is also considered a low GI food, while brown rice has a medium GI score. Quinoa contains slightly more fat than rice, but both are low-fat foods.
Another snack: skip the white rice! White rice contains far fewer nutrients than quinoa and brown rice and virtually no fiber, making it a less nutritious option.
Quinoa and brown rice recipes
Here are some of our favorite quinoa and brown rice recipes!
