Chia Seeds vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Chia Seeds and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chia seeds
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chia seeds and chicken:
- Both chia seeds and chicken are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chia seed has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Chia seed has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chia seeds and chicken are high in calories. Chia seed has 157% more calories than chicken - chia seed has 486 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chia seeds is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to chicken for fat. Chia seeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:33:54 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chia Seeds | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 33% | ~ |
| Fat | 54% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and chicken has less carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chia seeds and chicken are high in protein. Chicken has 41% more protein than chia seed - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chia seeds and chicken contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and chicken are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken has 0.09g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Chia seed has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than chicken - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than chicken - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chia seeds and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both chia seeds and chicken contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Chia Seeds | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.62 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.17 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 8.83 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 49 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than chicken - chia seed has 631mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 730% more iron than chicken - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Both chia seeds and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 66% more potassium than chia seed - chia seed has 407mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than chia seed per 100 grams.
| Chia Seeds | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 17.83 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 17.83 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than chicken per 100 grams.
| Chia Seeds | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 5.835 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 5.835 G | 1.838 G |
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 Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .
Chia Seeds g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 chia seeds or chicken contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chia seeds and chicken are high in calories. Chia seed has 160% more calories than chicken - chia seed has 486 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is chia seeds or chicken better for protein?
Both chia seeds and chicken are high in protein. Chicken has 40% more protein than chia seed - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does chia seeds or chicken have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and chicken has fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of carbs for 100g and chicken has no carbs..
Does chia seeds or chicken contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than chicken - chia seed has 631mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
Does chia seeds or chicken contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 730% more iron than chicken - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron in 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
Does chia seeds or chicken contain more potassium?
Both chia seeds and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 70% more potassium than chia seed - chia seed has 407mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.