Quinoa (cooked)
1 cup (185g)Protein per 100g4.4g
Calories per 100g120
Fat per 100g1.9g
Carbs per 100g21.3g
Fiber per 100g2.8g
Leucine (per serving, est.)350mg
Typical cost$$
Quality 0.85
one of the few complete-protein grains (technically a seed)
veganvegetariangluten-free
Why Quinoa (cooked) shows up in protein-forward diets
Botanically a seed, not a true grain, and one of the very few in this whole 'grain' category with a complete amino acid profile — most grains (rice, wheat, oats) are low in lysine the way beans are low in methionine.
Serving-size math
A 1 cup (185g) portion delivers 8.1g of protein and roughly 222 calories. Scaled per 100 calories, that works out to 3.67g of protein — useful for comparing against other foods on a calorie-matched basis rather than a weight-matched one.
Prep tip
Rinse thoroughly before cooking — quinoa's natural coating (saponin) tastes soapy and bitter if skipped.
Best for
- complementing legumes for a complete meal
Frequently asked
How much protein is in quinoa (cooked)?
4.4g per 100g, or 8.1g per 1 cup (185g).
Is quinoa (cooked) a complete protein?
Yes — it's rated a complete, high-quality protein source (one of the few complete-protein grains (technically a seed)).