Canned Tuna vs. Flaxseeds

Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Flaxseeds


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of canned tuna versus flaxseeds (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and flaxseeds:

  • Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Canned tuna has 3.6 times less saturated fat than flaxseed.
  • Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed.
  • Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of canned tuna and flaxseeds 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: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Canned Tuna src
Image of Flaxseeds src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in calories. Flaxseed has 317% more calories than canned tuna - flaxseed has 534 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to flaxseeds per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for flaxseeds, 13:20:67 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Canned Tuna Flaxseeds
Protein 78% 13%
Carbohydrates ~ 20%
Fat 22% 67%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

Flaxseed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Canned tuna has less sugar than flaxseed - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in protein. Canned tuna has 29% more protein than flaxseed - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Canned tuna has 3.6 times less saturated fat than flaxseed - flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Flaxseed has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Flaxseeds and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than flaxseed - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Flaxseeds and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Flaxseeds and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and flaxseeds contain significant amounts of niacin.

Canned Tuna Flaxseeds
Thiamin 0.008 MG 1.644 MG
Riboflavin 0.044 MG 0.161 MG
Niacin 5.799 MG 3.08 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.124 MG 0.985 MG
Vitamin B6 0.217 MG 0.473 MG
Folate 2 UG 87 UG
Vitamin B12 1.17 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 17 times more calcium than canned tuna - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.

iron

Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and it has 491% more iron than canned tuna - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.

potassium

Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 243% more potassium than canned tuna - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than canned tuna per 100 grams, however, canned tuna contains more dha, epa and dpa than flaxseed per 100 grams.

Canned Tuna Flaxseeds
alpha linoleic acid 0.071 G 22.813 G
DHA 0.629 G ~
EPA 0.233 G ~
DPA 0.018 G ~
Total 0.951 G 22.813 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.

Canned Tuna Flaxseeds
linoleic acid 0.055 G 5.903 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.007 G
Total 0.055 G 5.91 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 Canned Tuna or Flaxseeds .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) .

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FAQ

Does flaxseeds or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in calories. Flaxseed has 320% more calories than canned tuna - flaxseed has 534 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.

Is flaxseeds or canned tuna better for protein?
Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in protein. Canned tuna has 30% more protein than flaxseed - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.

Does flaxseeds or canned tuna contain more calcium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of calcium and it has 17 times more calcium than canned tuna - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.

Does flaxseeds or canned tuna contain more iron?
Flaxseed is an abundant source of iron and it has 490% more iron than canned tuna - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron in 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.

Does flaxseeds or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both flaxseeds and canned tuna are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 240% more potassium than canned tuna - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.