Foods

Rolled oats vs Quinoa: Which Has More Protein?

Rolled oats wins on protein: 13g per 100g versus 4.4g, a gap of 8.6g. Calories and protein quality change the picture, so here is the full comparison.

Head to head, per 100g

FoodProteinCalories
๐ŸŒพ Rolled oats (dry)13g389
๐ŸŒพ Quinoa (cooked)4.4g120

Per 100g.

What the numbers mean

Rolled oats delivers 13g of protein for 389 calories per 100g. Quinoa delivers 4.4g for 120 calories. If you are counting calories as well as protein, quinoa is the leaner choice per 100g.

Protein quality: rolled oats is a incomplete protein, quinoa is a complete protein. Complete proteins carry all nine essential amino acids in useful amounts; incomplete ones are still valuable, they just want a complementary source across the day.

Pair with milk or whey. Rare complete-protein grain.

Which should you choose?

  • For maximum protein per 100g: rolled oats (13g).
  • For the fewest calories per 100g: quinoa.
  • For everyday practicality, the better choice is the one you will actually eat regularly โ€” the difference between 13g and 4.4g matters far less than consistency across the week.
  • Mixing both across the week covers a wider spread of micronutrients than committing to one.

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Common questions

Does rolled oats or quinoa have more protein?

Rolled oats, at 13g per 100g versus 4.4g for quinoa.

Which has fewer calories, rolled oats or quinoa?

Quinoa โ€” 120 calories per 100g versus 389.

Can I swap one for the other in a recipe?

Usually yes, but adjust the weight so the protein matches. To replace 100g of rolled oats you need about 295g of quinoa.

Keep reading

Protein in rolled oats13g per 100g in full detail.Protein in quinoa4.4g per 100g in full detail.Compare any two foodsSearch the full protein database.

What is Protein Hunter?

Protein Hunter is a protein and nutrition app with a database of 232 foods โ€” from a leaf of kale to a wagyu steak โ€” plus AI tools that answer protein questions, count a whole meal, build recipes to a macro target, and track what you actually eat.

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Why it's different: the numbers are calculated from a fixed ingredient database rather than guessed, and when a target is not physically achievable the app says so instead of inventing a figure.

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