Flaxseed Oil vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Flaxseed Oil and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flaxseed oil
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flaxseed oil and chia seeds:
- Both flaxseed oil and chia seeds are high in calories.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flaxseed Oil (Oil, flaxseed, cold pressed) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both flaxseed oil and chia seeds are high in calories. Flaxseed oil has 82% more calories than chia seed - flaxseed oil has 884 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, flaxseed oil is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to chia seeds per calorie. Flaxseed oil has a macronutrient ratio of 0:0:100 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Flaxseed Oil | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 33% |
| Fat | 100% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed oil has less carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chia seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 149 times more protein than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 0.11g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Flaxseed oil is high in saturated fat and chia seed has 63% less saturated fat than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both flaxseed oil and chia seeds are low in trans fat - flaxseed oil has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flaxseed oil and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed oil has 0.47mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Flaxseed oil has more Vitamin K than chia seed - flaxseed oil has 9.3ug 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.
| Flaxseed Oil | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | ~ | 8.83 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 630 times more calcium than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has more iron than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
potassium
Chia seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has more potassium than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 407mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed oil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chia seed per 100 grams.
| Flaxseed Oil | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 53.368 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 53.368 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed oil has more linoleic acid than chia seed per 100 grams.
| Flaxseed Oil | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.131 G | 0.093 G |
| linoleic acid | 14.327 G | 5.835 G |
| Total | 14.458 G | 5.928 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Flaxseed Oil or Chia Seeds .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Flaxseed Oil (Oil, flaxseed, cold pressed) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Flaxseed Oil 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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
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 % |
|
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 flaxseed oil or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both flaxseed oil and chia seeds are high in calories. Flaxseed oil has 80% more calories than chia seed - flaxseed oil has 884 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does chia seeds or flaxseed oil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed oil has fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of carbs for 100g and flaxseed oil has no carbs..
Does flaxseed oil or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 630 times more calcium than flaxseed oil - flaxseed oil has 1mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does chia seeds or flaxseed oil contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has more iron than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.
Does chia seeds or flaxseed oil contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has more potassium than flaxseed oil - chia seed has 407mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed oil does not contain significant amounts.