Quinoa vs rice: calories compared

Per cup cooked, quinoa has a few more calories than white rice, about 222 against 205, with about twice the protein and eight times the fiber. On weight it does not win. Two meta-analyses of quinoa trials disagree, 2.8 lb (1.26 kg) lost against no change. In a 4-week trial in adults with overweight, weight fell significantly on 40 g a day of rice and not on quinoa. In preload tests, eating quinoa instead of rice did not cut how much people ate overall.

Rice has two questions the table hides. Observational data tie each daily serving of white rice to 11 percent more type 2 diabetes, with the link clear in Asian populations and not significant in Western ones. Its glycemic index runs from 48 to 93 by variety. Then arsenic. After six months on a gluten-free diet, children with celiac disease had four times the arsenic in their urine. We hold no arsenic data for quinoa.

If rice is your daily staple, rinse it. In 15 lab studies rinsing removed the most arsenic. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature, since its bacteria can make a toxin that brief reheating does not destroy. Gluten free, quinoa is one way to vary the grain, and 50 g a day was well tolerated by 19 adults with celiac disease for six weeks.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level A A meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials in 258 adults found 0.53 to 1.8 oz (15 to 50 g) of quinoa a day for 28 to 180 days did not change BMI or body weight versus placebo. Curr Med Chem, 2024
2. Level A A meta-analysis of 5 RCTs with 206 adults found quinoa seed lowered body weight by 2.8 lb (1.26 kg) and waist by 0.45 in (1.15 cm). Phytother Res, 2021
3. Level B In a 4-week RCT in 148 adults with overweight or obesity, 1.4 oz (40 g) of quinoa a day did not reduce weight significantly, while rice, bulgur and buckwheat groups did. Metabolites. 2026;16(9):628. Comparative Effects of Quinoa, Buckwheat, Bulgur, and Rice on Cardiometabolic Health in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
4. Level C In preload tests, quinoa scored as more satiating than rice, yet people did not eat less energy in total afterward. Berti C, et al. Br J Nutr. 2005;94(5):850-858
5. Level B Each extra daily serving of white rice went with an 11 percent higher rate of type 2 diabetes across seven cohorts, and the trend was linear rather than a threshold. Hu et al., BMJ, 2012
6. Level C Cohort data link the highest white rice intake to a 55 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes in Asian populations, with no significant link in Western populations. BMJ, 2012
7. Level A A systematic review found the glycemic index of rice varieties ranged from 48 to 93, with brown rice lower than white only when both are cooked for the same time. Br J Nutr, 2015
8. Level D Laboratory data across 15 studies suggest cooking lowers arsenic in rice by about 0.04 mg/kg, with rinsing and parboiling the most effective methods. Int J Environ Health Res, 2024
9. Level C Children who went gluten free after a celiac diagnosis had four times more arsenic in their urine six months later, because rice is what replaces wheat. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2025
10. Level C In 19 treated celiac patients, 1.8 oz (50 g) of quinoa a day for 6 weeks was well tolerated and did not worsen the disease. Am J Gastroenterol, 2014
11. Level E CDC notes that B. cereus is often present in uncooked rice and its spores may survive cooking. If cooked rice is then held at room temperature, the bacteria multiply and make a heat-stable toxin that can survive brief heating such as stir frying. In a 1993 fried rice outbreak at two day care centers, 12 of the 14 cases were children aged 2.5 to 5 years. CDC, MMWR 1994, Bacillus cereus food poisoning associated with fried rice at two child day care centers
12. Level E A cup of cooked rice is not a fixed amount of food, and US labeling rules say so outright: the weight depends on how much water went in. Food Labeling: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One Eating Occasion, FDA, FR Doc. 2016-11865

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Quinoa and rice: more fiber and iron, thinner proof
• Quinoa: two meta-analyses, one literature, opposite answers
• Rice: the arsenic question, and the water you pour away

What the studies say

• Is quinoa good for weight loss? Two reviews disagree, and the effect is small at best

Rankings and guides

• Calories: what it does and what the evidence shows
• Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
• Dietary fat: what it does and how much you need
• Quinoa: full nutrition facts
• Rice: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Rice vs pasta
• Rice vs potato
• Rice vs noodles

• Quinoa: USDA FoodData Central, Quinoa, cooked, FDC ID 168917 · full profile · all forms of quinoa
• Rice: USDA FoodData Central, Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked, FDC ID 168878 · full profile · all forms of rice

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.