Chia Seeds vs. Brown Sugar
Nutrition comparison of Chia Seeds and Brown Sugar
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chia seeds
versus
brown sugar
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chia seeds and brown sugar:
- Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in calcium, calories and carbohydrates.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, brown sugar contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) and Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 28% more calories than brown sugar - brown sugar has 380 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chia seeds is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to brown sugar per calorie. Chia seeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:33:54 and for brown sugar, 0:100:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chia Seeds | Brown Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | 33% | 100% |
| Fat | 54% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Brown sugar has 133% more carbohydrates than chia seed - brown sugar has 98.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than brown sugar - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Brown sugar is high in sugar and chia seed has less sugar than brown sugar - brown sugar has 97g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chia seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 136 times more protein than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.12g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Brown sugar has less saturated fat than chia seed - chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and brown sugar are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than brown sugar - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than brown sugar - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chia seed has more Vitamin E than brown sugar - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, brown sugar contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Chia Seeds | Brown Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.62 MG | ~ |
| Riboflavin | 0.17 MG | ~ |
| Niacin | 8.83 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.132 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 49 UG | 1 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in calcium. Chia seed has 660% more calcium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 987% more iron than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Chia seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 206% more potassium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 133mg of potassium per 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) and Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) .
Chia Seeds g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Brown Sugar g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does brown sugar or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 30% more calories than brown sugar - brown sugar has 380 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does brown sugar or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. brown sugar has 130% more carbohydrates than chia seed - brown sugar has 98.1g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does brown sugar or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Both brown sugar and chia seeds are high in calcium. Chia seed has 660% more calcium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does brown sugar or chia seeds contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 990% more iron than brown sugar - brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does brown sugar or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than brown sugar - brown sugar has 133mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.