Quinoa vs Rice: Which Has Fewer Calories?
Quinoa, and it wins twice: cooked quinoa is about 111 kcal per 100 g against 131 for boiled white rice, and it carries 5 g of protein per 100 g against rice's 2.8. Everything below is cooked-to-cooked, because comparing a dry label with a wet bowl is how this question usually goes wrong.
The numbers side by side
| Nutrient | Quinoa, per 125 g side | Quinoa, per 100 g | White rice, per 180 g portion | White rice, per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 139 kcal / 582 kJ | ~111 kcal / 464 kJ | 236 kcal / 987 kJ | 131 kcal / 548 kJ |
| Protein | 6.3 g | 5.0 g | 5.0 g | 2.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.1 g | 20.1 g | 56.0 g | 31.1 g |
| of which sugars | 2.7 g | 2.2 g | 0 g (Tr) | 0 g (Tr) |
| Fat | 2.3 g | 1.8 g | 0.7 g | 0.4 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g | 2.5 g | 0.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Salt | 0.07 g | 0.05 g | 0.05 g | 0.03 g |
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from CoFID, the UK government’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified August 2026. How we verify our data →
Quinoa figures are recalculated from the CoFID dry values with a 0.36 cooking yield; rice is the CoFID boiled long grain row. Note the portion sizes are honest rather than equal: a typical rice serving runs to 180 g where a quinoa side stops near 125 g, which is why the rice plate costs 97 kcal more in practice.
Read per 100 g and the gap is 20 kcal, real but small. The protein column is where the two foods stop being interchangeable. Gram for gram, quinoa carries nearly double the protein and five times the fibre, so its calories arrive with more of the things that keep you full.
One caveat before the verdict: rice is not one number. Basmati boils to 117 kcal per 100 g, almost level with quinoa, while brown rice matches white at 131 with a little more fibre at 1.2 g. Quinoa beats the field on protein either way, but on calories alone the basmati race is a dead heat.
When to pick quinoa
Pick it when the grain has to do some of the meal's work. In a lunch salad with no meat, quinoa's 6.3 g of protein per side is the difference between a bowl that holds you and one that doesn't. The fibre helps the same cause, and 3.1 g per side is a solid contribution towards the 30 g a day the NHS recommends.
It is also the better cold grain. Quinoa keeps its texture in the fridge for days, so batch-cooking it for the week costs 139 kcal a portion with no quality penalty by Thursday.
When to pick rice
Pick rice when it is a base, not a feature. Under a curry or a stir-fry, rice's neutral flavour is the point, and basmati at 117 kcal per 100 g gives away almost nothing to quinoa on the calorie line. The protein difference matters less when there is chicken on top doing that job.
Cost belongs in the verdict too. Rice is a fraction of quinoa's price per portion, and a cheaper habit you keep beats a better one you abandon. If the rest of the plate carries the protein, the rice plate loses nothing that matters.
Most popular quinoa and rice brands in the United Kingdom
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United Kingdom, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each label. Dry rice and ready-cooked pouches are different bases; compare pouch with pouch.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Tilda Basmati Rice (dry) | 351 kcal |
| Merchant Gourmet Red & White Quinoa (cooked pouch) | 184 kcal |
| Veetee Basmati Rice (cooked pouch) | 139 kcal |
| Sainsbury’s Basmati Rice (cooked pouch) | 137 kcal |
| Tilda Brown Basmati & Quinoa (cooked pouch) | 130 kcal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels.
Frequently asked questions
Does quinoa have fewer calories than rice?
Yes, cooked against cooked: about 111 kcal per 100 g for quinoa versus 131 for boiled white long grain rice. Basmati narrows it to 117, close to a tie. Dry-weight labels muddy this comparison, since both roughly triple in weight as they cook.
Does quinoa have more protein than rice?
Nearly double: 5 g per 100 g cooked against 2.8 g for white rice. Over a standard portion that is 6.3 g from a quinoa side and 5 g from a larger 180 g rice serving. Quinoa also brings five times the fibre, at 2.5 g per 100 g against 0.5.
Is quinoa better than brown rice?
On calories, yes: about 111 kcal per 100 g cooked against 131 for brown rice, which matches white rice on energy. Brown rice offers 1.2 g of fibre per 100 g to quinoa's 2.5 g and 3.3 g of protein to quinoa's 5 g, so quinoa keeps both advantages.
Can I swap rice for quinoa in a recipe?
Yes, by cooked weight, and the swap saves about 20 kcal per 100 g against white rice. Both cook to roughly triple their dry weight, though quinoa wants a rinse first and slightly less water. The texture is looser than rice, which suits salads better than sushi.
Which is better for weight loss, quinoa or rice?
Quinoa, narrowly but on two fronts: 20 fewer kcal per 100 g than white rice, plus more protein and fibre to keep the meal filling. If you prefer rice, choosing basmati at 117 kcal per 100 g and weighing the portion captures most of the same saving.
More comparisons
- Almond vs peanut butter — 103 vs 97 kcal a spoon
- Butter vs ghee — 744 vs 898 kcal per 100 g
- Butter vs margarine — 4 kcal apart on toast
- Caster vs granulated sugar — the same 394 kcal
- Salted vs unsalted butter — identical calories, the salt differs
Count either without the maths
BodyPal tells quinoa from rice in a photo and logs the cooked weight on your plate, so the yield factors stay out of your evening.
