Rural and urban households consume quinoa due to its high nutritional value. Frequent intake administered in the diet of university students may contribute to their better academic performance. The article aimed to analyze the association between consumption habits of quinoa as food with high nutritional value and the academic performance of university students in Southern Peru. A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional approach was used to develop the study. To collect the information, the random survey technique was applied to students who have completed at least four academic semesters at three major universities in southern Peru: Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Universidad Nacional San Augustin de Arequipa, and Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. The study was based on primary sources of information, by using an online survey applied to a proportional sample of 384 students at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study variables were quinoa consumption habits, in its dimensions: frequency of consumption, reasons for consumption and consumption beliefs, and the variable academic performance. Pearson's Chi-square statistical test was used to uncover the connection between variables. The main results indicated that students consume quinoa in its different presentations, with regular frequencies during the week, to achieve high grades in their studies, which range reached between 14-16 (vigesimal scale) for the highest percentage of the study participants. In addition, quinoa consumption has allowed 18% of students to lean towards studies with a certain complexity, such as problem-solving. It was concluded that the consumption of quinoa would help students to improve their academic performance in the different subjects they take during the semesters, so it is inferred that there is an association between these variables. However, the difficulty of accessing students' real grades due to the pandemic limited the scope of these findings.