Quinoa

Overview

Quinoa is a nutrient-dense pseudograin that provides complex carbohydrates, fibre, and a substantial plant-protein contribution, alongside magnesium, iron, zinc, folate, and choline [2]. It is naturally gluten-free and can be a useful grain alternative for people who avoid wheat-based staples.

Quinoa seeds naturally contain bitter saponins in the outer coating, so rinsing before cooking improves taste and palatability; many modern commercial products are pre-washed, but a brief rinse is still practical in home cooking [3]. Within the BRAIN Diet framework, quinoa works well as a rotating whole-grain/pseudograin option that supports mineral intake, fibre intake, and overall diet diversity [2].

Key Nutritional Highlights

Highest folate among BRAIN Diet grain and pseudograin pages (per 100 g).
Provides complex carbohydrates for meal energy and dietary pattern flexibility.
Typically contributes more fibre and micronutrients than refined grain products.
Plant-protein quality is useful but context-dependent; amino-acid complementarity can improve coverage.
Naturally low in saturated fat.
Processing and preparation methods (refining, fermentation, soaking/rinsing, cooking) influence tolerance and nutrient availability.

Food Context

Synergies

Pair quinoa with legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas, beans) to improve overall essential amino-acid balance at meal/day level [1,2].

Preparation

Rinse before cooking to reduce residual saponin bitterness (even when labeled pre-washed).
Use gentle boiling/steaming and avoid overcooking to preserve texture and improve practical meal adherence.

Essential Amino Acid Profile

Quinoa provides a strong plant-protein profile and is often described as relatively balanced for a pseudograin, but amino-acid complementarity with legumes still improves practical coverage [1,2].

Notable amino acids:

Lysine

Protein pairing strategy:

Combine quinoa with legumes (e.g. lentils, chickpeas, beans) to support a more robust essential amino-acid pattern across meals [1,2].

Recipes

Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)

Core nutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Energy	368 kcal	—
Protein	14.1 g	—
Total fat	6.1 g	—
Saturated fat	0.7 g	—
Carbohydrates	64.2 g	—
Fibre	7 g	—

Key micronutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Iron	4.6 mg	25.4%
Zinc	3.1 mg	28.2%
Magnesium	197 mg	46.9%
Selenium	8.5 µg	15.5%
Calcium	47 mg	4.7%
Potassium	563 mg	16.6%
Choline	70.2 mg	12.8%
Folate	184 µg	46%
Vitamin B12	0 µg	0%
Vitamin B6	0.5 mg	28.6%

Bioactive compounds

Values below are often from specialist compositional databases or literature, not the standard USDA panel. Asterisks (*) refer to source notes at the bottom of this section.

Compound / class	Amount per 100 g	Notes
ALA	588 mg	—
DHA	47 mg	—

Note: Bioactive-compound values vary substantially by cultivar, species, cocoa or oil percentage, processing, and brand formulation. Show quantitative values only where a defensible source exists; otherwise prefer qualitative presence statements or ranges in source notes.

Reference intakes: US Dietary Reference Intakes for adults (19–50 years; using the higher of male/female values where they differ).

Data provenance (core / micronutrient panel): USDA FoodData Central, Quinoa, uncooked, FDC ID 168874, API, per 100 g edible portion, last checked 2026-03-14