Why do different quinoa brands vary in calories?

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mmargarette
mmargarette Posts: 89 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm just wondering why when they're (sort of) exactly the same thing. I have two products of quinoa at the moment.

Pereg Quinoa Lemon & Herbs: 1 cup cooked = 1000 cals

C&F Organic Nature's Wild Grains Quinoa: 1 cup cooked = 360 cals

Replies

  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
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    I just googled the first one and it says "A delicious blend of pre-washed quinoa with zesty lemon, toasted onion, potatoes, mustard seeds & other amazing spices. "

    So it's got loads of other stuff in the pack. But still 1000 calories per cooked cup seems insanely high. Are you sure that's right?
  • mmargarette
    mmargarette Posts: 89 Member
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    I just googled the first one and it says "A delicious blend of pre-washed quinoa with zesty lemon, toasted onion, potatoes, mustard seeds & other amazing spices. "

    So it's got loads of other stuff in the pack. But still 1000 calories per cooked cup seems insanely high. Are you sure that's right?

    the added stuff doesn't seem like it should contain a lot of calories though. yes i'm sure :) it says in the packaging that 1/4 cup dry is 250 cals
  • kateanne27
    kateanne27 Posts: 275 Member
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    I just googled the first one and it says "A delicious blend of pre-washed quinoa with zesty lemon, toasted onion, potatoes, mustard seeds & other amazing spices. "

    So it's got loads of other stuff in the pack. But still 1000 calories per cooked cup seems insanely high. Are you sure that's right?

    the added stuff doesn't seem like it should contain a lot of calories though. yes i'm sure :) it says in the packaging that 1/4 cup dry is 250 cals

    Quinoa about doubles in volume when you cook it, if it is 250 cal for 1/4 a cup dry, one cup cooked would be 500. one cupe dry would be 1000, and make two cups cooked.
    500 per cup seems realistic with the stuff they add.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    What other ingredients are in there with the lemon and herbs? Any added fats or sugars as well that they aren't advertising? Doesn't take much for them to add up especially if it's a combination of both. You really only should compare plain quinoa with another brand of plain quinoa. They should all be basically the same calories.
  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
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    I just googled the first one and it says "A delicious blend of pre-washed quinoa with zesty lemon, toasted onion, potatoes, mustard seeds & other amazing spices. "

    So it's got loads of other stuff in the pack. But still 1000 calories per cooked cup seems insanely high. Are you sure that's right?

    the added stuff doesn't seem like it should contain a lot of calories though. yes i'm sure :) it says in the packaging that 1/4 cup dry is 250 cals

    Quinoa about doubles in volume when you cook it, if it is 250 cal for 1/4 a cup dry, one cup cooked would be 500. one cupe dry would be 1000, and make two cups cooked.
    500 per cup seems realistic with the stuff they add.

    This.

    Dry measurements are different than cooked measurements.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    Options
    I just googled the first one and it says "A delicious blend of pre-washed quinoa with zesty lemon, toasted onion, potatoes, mustard seeds & other amazing spices. "

    So it's got loads of other stuff in the pack. But still 1000 calories per cooked cup seems insanely high. Are you sure that's right?

    the added stuff doesn't seem like it should contain a lot of calories though. yes i'm sure :) it says in the packaging that 1/4 cup dry is 250 cals

    Quinoa about doubles in volume when you cook it, if it is 250 cal for 1/4 a cup dry, one cup cooked would be 500. one cupe dry would be 1000, and make two cups cooked.
    500 per cup seems realistic with the stuff they add.

    This.

    Dry measurements are different than cooked measurements.

    But she said it was cooked in both cases!

    "Pereg Quinoa Lemon & Herbs: 1 cup cooked = 1000 cals

    C&F Organic Nature's Wild Grains Quinoa: 1 cup cooked = 360 cals"
  • MrPete919
    MrPete919 Posts: 2
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    The nutrition info for the Pereg Quinoa Lemon & Herbs 6 oz box says serving size 1/4 cup 250 calories, servings per container 4. So the nutrition info is for uncooked product not cooked.
  • FreedomSand
    FreedomSand Posts: 30 Member
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    Here is the nutrition label for the Pereg product:
    http://www.shopwell.com/pereg-quinoa-lemon-herbs/rice-other-grains/p/1356800181?f=sp256773

    Here is the one for the C&F product:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/c-f-foods-organic-natures-wild-grains-quinoa-104098448

    The pereg product includes potato. The C&F product seems to be just quinoa.

    I buy plain quinoa - it comes white, red and black. I don't buy the packaged mixes.

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