| Measure | Brown rice | Quinoa |
|---|---|---|
| Typical serving | 1 cup cooked (195 g) | 1 cup cooked (185 g) |
| Protein per serving | 5.3 g | 8.1 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.74 g | 4.4 g |
| Calories per serving | 240 kcal | 222 kcal |
| Protein density | 9% of calories | 15% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 11% | 16% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete | Complete |
| Category | Grains | Grains |
Compare foods · Brown rice · Quinoa
Protein comparison
Brown rice vs Quinoa: which has more protein?
Brown rice gives you 5.3 g of protein per 1 cup cooked; quinoa gives you 8.1 g per 1 cup cooked. On equal weight it is 2.74 g against 4.4 g per 100 g. The full side-by-side, from the same USDA-sourced records as the rest of the site:
The verdict
Quinoa has more protein on equal weight: 4.4 g per 100 g against brown rice's 2.74 g, a lead of 1.7 g. Per typical serving, quinoa delivers 8.1 g (1 cup cooked) to brown rice's 5.3 g (1 cup cooked), a difference of 2.8 g.
For the full breakdown of each food, see the protein in brown rice and protein in quinoa pages, each with its USDA FoodData Central record id.
Quick answers
Brown rice vs Quinoa FAQ
Which has more protein, brown rice or quinoa?
Quinoa has more protein per 100 g: 4.4 g against 2.74 g. Per typical serving, brown rice provides 5.3 g (1 cup cooked) and quinoa provides 8.1 g (1 cup cooked).
Is brown rice or quinoa more protein-dense?
Quinoa is the more protein-dense of the two: about 15% of its calories come from protein, against 9% for brown rice.
Are brown rice and quinoa complete proteins?
Only quinoa is a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Brown rice is incomplete on its own and pairs best with other protein sources across the day.
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