Ingredient database › Quinoa
Is Quinoa good or bad in dog food?
Quinoa is a carbohydrate / energy source and rates as Good in our analysis.
Good Bottom line: Quinoa is a good, beneficial ingredient — a positive sign wherever it appears on the label.
Whole-grain complete protein source.
This is a solid, beneficial ingredient and a positive sign wherever it appears on the label.
Built on AAFCO & FDA pet-food criteria · Last updated June 2026 · How we rate
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a carbohydrate / energy source used in dog food. On a label it may also appear as: quinoa.
What to look for on the label
Ingredients are listed by weight, so the ones near the top make up most of the recipe. Quinoa near the top is a good sign. The fastest way to judge a whole product is to paste its full ingredient list into our free dog food checker, which grades it A–F and flags every ingredient like this one.
How Quinoa affects the WoofScore
Our grade rewards named whole proteins, vegetables, fruit and beneficial supplements, and penalises vague by-products, cheap fillers, artificial colours and controversial preservatives. Quinoa contributes as a good-tier item; read the full scoring methodology to see exactly how the grade is calculated.