What is the difference between Quinoa vs. Millet?

Here are the key differences between quinoa and millet
Protein Quality
Quinoa is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids, making it a rare plant-based complete protein source. Millet lacks the essential amino acid lysine and is not considered a complete protein. Millet also has less protein compared to Quinoa.

Appearance and Taste
Quinoa seeds are small, flat, disc-shaped and come in colors like white, red, and black with a slightly nutty flavor.
Millet grains are smaller than Quinoa, and circular, with varieties like pearl millet being most common. They have a mild, slightly sweet, and nutty taste.

Cooking Method
Quinoa is cooked relatively quickly, like rice, in around 15-20 minutes. You can cook Quinoa the same way you cook rice, with the same water-to-grain ratio. Using rice cooker to cook Quinoa is fine with the same amount of water/stock that you would use to cook rice.

Millet requires more effort to be cooked properly and can triple in size, requiring careful liquid management to avoid a gritty texture. To cook millet on the stovetop, use a ratio of 1 cup dry millet: 2 cups liquid. Simply add the two to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, cover and let it simmer for 18-20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Nutritional Profiles
Quinoa is higher in protein, fiber, and some minerals like iron and zinc compared to millet.
Millet is richer in certain B vitamins like niacin, thiamin, and folate. Both Quinoa and Millet are low on the glycemic index (GI) and will not spike blood sugar levels, making both wholegrains diabetic friendly.