Grains: nutrition rankings

20 grains in the ranking pool from USDA FoodData Central. Below: the richest grains for each nutrient, the group median per serving, and 10 full nutrition profiles.

Nutrition profiles

Barley193 kcalper 1 cupSelenium 25% · Fiber 21% · Niacin 20%Brown rice248 kcalper 1 cupManganese 86% · Niacin 32% · Thiamin 30%Buckwheat155 kcalper 1 cupManganese 29% · Copper 27% · Magnesium 20%Oats153 kcalper 0.5 cupManganese 64% · Selenium 21% · Copper 18%Pasta196 kcalper 1 cup spaghetti not packedSelenium 60% · Folate 37% · Thiamin 28%Popcorn110 kcalper 1 ozFiber 15% · Manganese 14% · Magnesium 9.7%Quinoa222 kcalper 1 cupManganese 51% · Copper 39% · Magnesium 28%White bread77 kcalper 1 sliceSelenium 12% · Thiamin 12% · Folate 11%White rice205 kcalper 1 cupFolate 38% · Manganese 32% · Selenium 22%Whole wheat bread81 kcalper 1 sliceManganese 26% · Selenium 15% · Niacin 10%

Richest grains for each nutrient

Nutrient	Richest source (per serving)	Amount	Group median / serving	Full list
Potassium	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	318 mg 6.8% DV	135 mg (n=20)	Grains high in potassium
Magnesium	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	126 mg 30% DV	70 mg (n=20)	Grains high in magnesium
Iron	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	5.2 mg 29% DV	1.2 mg (n=20)	Grains high in iron
Protein	Spelt, cooked (1 cup)	10.7 g 21% DV	6 g (n=20)	Grains high in protein
Fiber	Bulgur, cooked (1 cup)	8.2 g 29% DV	4.6 g (n=17)	Grains high in fiber
Calcium	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	123 mg 9.5% DV	15 mg (n=20)	Grains high in calcium
Zinc	Wheat, KAMUT khorasan (cooked) (1 cup)	3.2 mg 29% DV	1.4 mg (n=20)	Grains high in zinc
Vitamin E	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	1.17 mg 7.8% DV	0.24 mg (n=14)	All foods
Vitamin K	Buckwheat groats, roasted (cooked) (1 cup)	3.2 µg 2.7% DV	0.7 µg (n=12)	All foods
Vitamin B6	Rice, brown (medium-grain, cooked) (1 cup)	0.29 mg 17% DV	0.14 mg (n=20)	All foods
Folate (DFE)	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	78 µg 19% DV	24 µg (n=20)	All foods
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	0.18 g	0.02 g (n=17)	All foods
Selenium	Wheat, KAMUT khorasan (cooked) (1 cup)	54.9 µg 100% DV	9.8 µg (n=16)	All foods
Copper	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	0.57 mg 63% DV	0.21 mg (n=20)	All foods
Manganese	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	7.21 mg 313% DV	1.14 mg (n=20)	All foods
Phosphorus	Cereals, oats (regular and quick, not fortified, dry) (1 cup)	332 mg 27% DV	149 mg (n=20)	All foods
Choline	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	43 mg 7.7% DV	18 mg (n=12)	All foods
Thiamin (B1)	Teff, cooked (1 cup)	0.46 mg 38% DV	0.14 mg (n=20)	All foods
Riboflavin (B2)	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	0.2 mg 16% DV	0.07 mg (n=20)	All foods
Niacin (B3)	Rice, brown (long-grain, cooked) (1 cup)	5.2 mg 32% DV	2.1 mg (n=20)	All foods
Lutein + zeaxanthin	Cereals, oats (regular and quick, not fortified, dry) (1 cup)	146 µg	98 µg (n=11)	All foods
Monounsaturated fat	Cereals, oats (regular and quick, not fortified, dry) (1 cup)	1.6 g	0.2 g (n=18)	All foods
Polyunsaturated fat	Quinoa, cooked (1 cup)	2 g	0.4 g (n=18)	All foods

Median is the middle value across the 20 grains in the pool, per common serving. Foods USDA has not analysed for a nutrient are excluded from that nutrient's median.

Foods in this group

Barley, Buckwheat groats, Bulgur, Cereals, Couscous, Millet, Noodles, Pasta, Quinoa, Rice, Rice noodles, Spaghetti, Spelt, Teff, Wheat, Wild rice and 4 more.

All food groups · All nutrient rankings

Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.