Fava Bean vs. Chia Seeds

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Fava Bean 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 fava bean versus chia seeds (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in fava bean and chia seeds:

  • Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in calories, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Chia seed has more thiamin and niacin, however, fava bean contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
  • Fava bean has 49.4 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
Detailed nutritional comparison of fava bean and chia seeds is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Fava Bean (Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Fava Bean src
Image of Chia Seeds src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in calories. Chia seed has 342% more calories than fava bean - chia seed has 486 calories per 100 grams and fava bean has 110 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, fava bean is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chia seeds per calorie. Fava bean has a macronutrient ratio of 27:70:3 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Fava Bean Chia Seeds
Protein 27% 13%
Carbohydrates 70% 33%
Fat 3% 54%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and fava bean has 53% less carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 537% more dietary fiber than fava bean - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and fava bean has 5.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Chia seed has less sugar than fava bean - fava bean has 1.8g 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 118% more protein than fava bean - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and fava bean has 7.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Fava bean has 49.4 times less saturated fat than chia seed - chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.07g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chia seeds and fava bean are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and fava bean does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chia seeds and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.3mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Fava bean and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - fava bean has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chia seeds and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Fava bean and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - fava bean has 2.9ug 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, fava bean contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both fava bean and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Fava Bean Chia Seeds
Thiamin 0.097 MG 0.62 MG
Riboflavin 0.089 MG 0.17 MG
Niacin 0.711 MG 8.83 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.157 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.072 MG ~
Folate 104 UG 49 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than fava bean - chia seed has 631mg of calcium per 100 grams and fava bean has 36mg of calcium.

iron

Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 415% more iron than fava bean - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron per 100 grams and fava bean has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in potassium. Chia seed has 52% more potassium than fava bean - chia seed has 407mg of potassium per 100 grams and fava bean has 268mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than fava bean per 100 grams.

Fava Bean Chia Seeds
alpha linoleic acid 0.012 G 17.83 G
Total 0.012 G 17.83 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than fava bean per 100 grams.

Fava Bean Chia Seeds
linoleic acid 0.152 G 5.835 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.093 G
Total 0.152 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: Fava Bean (Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .

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FAQ

Does chia seeds or fava bean contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in calories. Chia seed has 340% more calories than fava bean - chia seed has 486 calories in 100g and fava bean has 110 calories.

Does chia seeds or fava bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and fava bean has 50% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of carbs for 100g and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.

Does chia seeds or fava bean contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than fava bean - chia seed has 631mg of calcium in 100 grams and fava bean has 36mg of calcium.

Does chia seeds or fava bean contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 420% more iron than fava bean - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron in 100 grams and fava bean has 1.5mg of iron.

Does chia seeds or fava bean contain more potassium?
Both chia seeds and fava bean are high in potassium. Chia seed has 50% more potassium than fava bean - chia seed has 407mg of potassium in 100 grams and fava bean has 268mg of potassium.