# Does Quinoa Have Protein?

URL: https://kibora.app/protein-in/quinoa/
Language: en
Page type: food protein reference
Last Updated: 2026-08-31
Description: Yes. Cooked quinoa has about 4.4 g of protein per 100 g and about 8 g per cooked cup. See common servings and protein context.
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## Does Quinoa Have Protein?

Yes. One cup of cooked quinoa, around 185 g, contains approximately 8.1 g of protein.

Per 100 g, cooked quinoa contains approximately 4.4 g of protein.

## Protein in quinoa by serving size

These values use cooked quinoa. Dry quinoa is much more protein-dense per 100 g because cooking adds water.

| Serving | Protein | Calories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 g cooked quinoa | 4.4 g | 120 kcal |
| 1/2 cup cooked, ~93 g | 4.1 g | 112 kcal |
| 1 cup cooked, ~185 g | 8.1 g | 222 kcal |
| 250 g cooked | 11.0 g | 300 kcal |

## Is quinoa a good source of protein?

Quinoa provides more protein than many cooked grains, but it is still not as protein-dense as tofu, legumes, meat, fish or dairy.

A cooked cup provides about 8 g of protein.

Quinoa contains all essential amino acids, which makes it nutritionally useful even though normal servings do not provide very large absolute protein amounts.

### Source of protein

15% of calories from protein

## How much cooked quinoa provides 20–30 g of protein?

### ~20 g protein

about 455 g cooked quinoa

20.0 g protein

### ~25 g protein

about 568 g cooked quinoa

25.0 g protein

### ~30 g protein

about 682 g cooked quinoa

30.0 g protein

Those are large portions, so quinoa often works best as part of a meal with another protein source.

## One quinoa serving is easy. The whole day gets harder.

Kibora helps you log meals quickly by photo, voice, barcode, text, or favorites, then shows how protein, calories and the rest of your nutrition add up across your day.

## Nutrition data and methodology

USDA FoodData Central reference values for cooked quinoa are approximately 4.4 g protein and 120 kcal per 100 g.

A cooked cup weighs about 185 g and provides roughly 8.1 g of protein. Dry and cooked values should not be compared directly per 100 g.

### Sources

[USDA FoodData Central](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/)

## Compare protein in similar foods

### Oatmeal

about 5.9 g protein per cooked cup

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/oatmeal/)

### Rice

2.7 g protein per 100 g cooked white rice

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/rice/)

### Beans

about 8–9 g protein per 100 g cooked kidney beans

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/beans/)

### Tofu

13.3 g protein per 100 g tofu

[See protein by serving.](https://kibora.app/protein-in/tofu/)

## Common questions about protein in quinoa

### Does quinoa have protein?

Yes. Cooked quinoa contains about 4.4 g of protein per 100 g.

### How much protein is in one cup of quinoa?

About 8.1 g in a cooked cup weighing roughly 185 g.

### Is quinoa high in protein?

It is relatively protein-rich for a cooked grain, but it is not a concentrated protein food.

### Is quinoa a complete protein?

Yes. Quinoa contains all essential amino acids.

### Does dry quinoa have more protein per 100 g?

Yes, because cooked quinoa contains much more water.

## How much protein should you eat per day?

Knowing that a cooked cup of quinoa has about 8 g of protein is useful. Knowing how that fits into your daily protein and macro targets is more useful.