Quinoa - Proper Nutritional Info & Serving Sizes

dazedandconfused87
dazedandconfused87 Posts: 44
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I'm having a really hard time finding proper nutritional info and serving sizes for quinoa.

When it's cooked, how much is 1 cup in grams? Does the nutritional values vary significantly between cooked and uncooked?

Don't know why I'm having so much trouble with this one!

Replies

  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    The cooked weight of quinoa is going to vary based on how much liquid it absorbs. The quinoa I have here is 100 calories per 1 oz (28g) dry quinoa. The best way to do it is to measure before cooking, then weigh the entire cooked portion, then weigh out the serving and calculate the calories from there. The only way the nutritional value would change is if you cook the quinoa in a liquid other than water, in which case you would also have to calculate the calories from the broth or whatever you use.

    If all I had to go on was 1 cup cooked, I would probably guess that to be around 200 calories.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Hi,

    I'm having a really hard time finding proper nutritional info and serving sizes for quinoa.

    When it's cooked, how much is 1 cup in grams? Does the nutritional values vary significantly between cooked and uncooked?

    Don't know why I'm having so much trouble with this one!
    I weigh everything uncooked. I find it more accurate. Boiling only adds water, so no calories, but how much water was absorbed? Same with meat. Weigh it raw, then you can cook it blue, or ruin it to well-done. Doesn't matter.
    Here is the info for the quinoa I use:

    http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en-ca/product/cereals/organic-quinoa.html

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6451?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=quinoa
  • dazedandconfused87
    dazedandconfused87 Posts: 44
    Hmmm ok, that makes sense.

    Usually, I'll cook out 1/2 a cup of quinoa in 1 cup of water. Which becomes 2 cups once it's cooked if I'm correct.

    At which case, I'll usually measure out 46.5 grams as 1/4 of a cup but maybe that calculation is wrong? I don't know why I find this one so confusing lol. I guess I would weigh out the 2 cups cooked and then divide that by 8 to get the proper serving size of 1/4 of a cup. Math is NOT my favourite subject, that's for sure.
  • MissHolidayGolightly
    MissHolidayGolightly Posts: 857 Member
    Can you just measure it uncooked to get your nutrition per serving? If you're making more than one serving for multiple meals or people, just make x number of servings then divde the cooked amount by x.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Hmmm ok, that makes sense.

    Usually, I'll cook out 1/2 a cup of quinoa in 1 cup of water. Which becomes 2 cups once it's cooked if I'm correct.

    At which case, I'll usually measure out 46.5 grams as 1/4 of a cup but maybe that calculation is wrong? I don't know why I find this one so confusing lol. I guess I would weigh out the 2 cups cooked and then divide that by 8 to get the proper serving size of 1/4 of a cup. Math is NOT my favourite subject, that's for sure.
    Just weigh it uncooked.
    Use the second link I posted above and you can enter whatever weight you are going to use and it will give you the exact nutrient profile.

    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6451?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=25&qlookup=quinoa&offset=&sort=&format=Abridged&reportfmt=other&rptfrm=&ndbno=&nutrient1=&nutrient2=&nutrient3=&subset=&totCount=&measureby=&_action_show=Apply+Changes&Qv=.46&Q12212=1.0

    Here I've added 46 grams for you (.46 in the 100g box)

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