A Picture of a Spoonful of Quinoa

Quinoa Facts

  • Name: Quinoa
  • Type of Food: Pseudo grains
  • Produced From: Chenopodium quinoa
  • Total Calories: 120 (100 gram serving)
  • Total Fat: 1.9 grams (100 gram serving)
  • Total Protein: 4.4 grams (100 gram serving)
  • Total Carbohydrates: 21.3 grams (100 gram serving)

29 Quinoa Facts for Kids

  1. Quinoa is a food grown and consumed by humans.
  2. Quinoa is the seeds of the flowing plant Chenopodium quinoa.
  3. The quinoa plant is native to Andean region in South America.
  4. Quinoa is considered a pseudo cereal because it comes from a flowering plant instead of grass.
  5. Andean people domesticated and started eating quinoa around three to four thousand years ago.
  6. The rising popularity of quinoa as a food between 2006 and 2013 has caused its price to triple.
  7. According to FAOSTAT, the world produced over 175 thousand tons of quinoa in 2018
  8. According to FAOSTAT, the largest producer of quinoa in 2018 was Peru with over 94 thousand tons.
  9. Based on FAOSTAT data, Peru produced over 79% of the supply of quinoa in 2018.
  10. Based on FAOSTAT data, Peru and Bolivia combined produced around 99% of the supply of quinoa in 2018.
  11. The composition of raw quinoa is 13% water, 64% carbohydrates, 14% protein and 6% fat.
  12. The composition of cooked quinoa is 72% water, 21% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 2% fat.
  13. Quinoa is a rich source of nutrients and vitamins.
  14. One 100 gram serving of quinoa contains 20% or more of the recommended Daily Value of dietary fiber, protein, multiple B vitamins, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
  15. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 222 calories.
  16. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 3.6 grams of fat.
  17. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains no cholesterol.
  18. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 13 milligrams of sodium.
  19. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 39 grams of carbohydrates.
  20. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 5.2 grams of dietary fiber.
  21. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains no sugar.
  22. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 8.1 grams of protein.
  23. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 31 milligrams of calcium.
  24. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 318 milligrams of potassium.
  25. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 3 milligrams of iron.
  26. One cup of cooked quinoa (6.5 ounces) contains 9 milligrams of vitamin A.
  27. In 2013, it was declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations General Assembly.
  28. In 2017, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia successfully sequenced the genome of quinoa.
  29. In North America, quinoa crops are susceptible to leaf miner insects and can cause major crop damage.

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Additional Resources on Quinoa