Couscous vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
couscous
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and chia seeds:
- Both couscous and chia seeds are high in calories.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, couscous contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Couscous has 113.8 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both couscous and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 334% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, couscous is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Couscous | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 85% | 33% |
| Fat | 2% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 45% less carbohydrates than chia seed - couscous has 23.2g 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 23 times more dietary fiber than couscous - couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous and chia seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - couscous has 0.1g 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 336% more protein than couscous - couscous has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Couscous has 113.8 times less saturated fat than chia seed - couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and couscous are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than couscous - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than couscous - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Couscous and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Couscous and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, couscous contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Couscous | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.063 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.371 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.051 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 15 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than couscous - couscous has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 19 times more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg 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 602% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg 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 couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 0.06 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Cooked Couscous 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 couscous or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both couscous and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 330% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does couscous or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 50% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - couscous has 23.2g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does couscous or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than couscous - couscous has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does couscous or chia seeds contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 19 times more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does couscous or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 600% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.