Cornmeal vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cornmeal and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cornmeal
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cornmeal and chia seeds:
- Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Chia seed has more thiamin and niacin, however, cornmeal contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium.
- Cornmeal has 69% less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cornmeal (Cornmeal, yellow (Navajo)) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 27% more calories than cornmeal - cornmeal has 384 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cornmeal is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Cornmeal has a macronutrient ratio of 10:76:14 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cornmeal | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 33% |
| Fat | 14% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Cornmeal has 73% more carbohydrates than chia seed - cornmeal has 72.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 266% more dietary fiber than cornmeal - cornmeal has 9.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Chia seed has less sugar than cornmeal - cornmeal has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in protein. Chia seed has 68% more protein than cornmeal - cornmeal has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cornmeal has 69% less saturated fat than chia seed - cornmeal has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and cornmeal are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and cornmeal does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than cornmeal - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cornmeal does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than cornmeal - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cornmeal does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cornmeal and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cornmeal has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cornmeal and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cornmeal has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin and niacin, however, cornmeal contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both cornmeal and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Cornmeal | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.3 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.093 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 2.47 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.595 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.59 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 34 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 104 times more calcium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 158% more iron than cornmeal - cornmeal has 3mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in potassium. Chia seed has 26% more potassium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium per 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cornmeal per 100 grams.
| Cornmeal | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 0.06 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than cornmeal per 100 grams.
| Cornmeal | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.033 G | 0.093 G |
| linoleic acid | 2.292 G | 5.835 G |
| Total | 2.325 G | 5.928 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: Cornmeal (Cornmeal, yellow (Navajo)) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Cornmeal 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 cornmeal or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 30% more calories than cornmeal - cornmeal has 384 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does cornmeal or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. cornmeal has 70% more carbohydrates than chia seed - cornmeal has 72.9g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does cornmeal or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 104 times more calcium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 6mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does cornmeal or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 160% more iron than cornmeal - cornmeal has 3mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does cornmeal or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both cornmeal and chia seeds are high in potassium. Chia seed has 30% more potassium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.