Whole Wheat Flour vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Flour and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole wheat flour
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat flour and chia seeds:
- Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium.
- Whole wheat flour has 6.7 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 46% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat flour is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Whole wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 11:84:5 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Flour | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour has 77% more carbohydrates than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 163% more dietary fiber than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Chia seed has less sugar than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in protein. Chia seed has 72% more protein than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Whole wheat flour has 6.7 times less saturated fat than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and whole wheat flour are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than whole wheat flour - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than whole wheat flour - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Whole Wheat Flour | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.297 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.188 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 5.347 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.011 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.191 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 28 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 108% more iron than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for potassium - whole wheat flour has 394mg 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: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Whole Wheat Flour g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Chia Seeds 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 whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 50% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour has 80% more carbohydrates than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 110% more iron than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for potassium - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.