Quinoa vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Quinoa 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
quinoa
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in quinoa and chia seeds:
- Both quinoa and chia seeds are high in calories and dietary fiber.
- Chia seed has more thiamin and niacin, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
- Quinoa has 13.4 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both quinoa and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 305% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:14 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Quinoa | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 71% | 33% |
| Fat | 14% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 49% less carbohydrates than chia seed - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both quinoa and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 11 times more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Quinoa and chia seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g 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 276% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Quinoa has 13.4 times less saturated fat than chia seed - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and quinoa are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than quinoa - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than quinoa - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Quinoa and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin and niacin, however, quinoa contains more Vitamin B6. Both quinoa and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Quinoa | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.107 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.11 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 0.412 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 42 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 36 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 418% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg 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 137% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg 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 quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more dha than chia seed per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 17.83 G |
| DHA | 0.015 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.1 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than quinoa per 100 grams.
| Quinoa | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.974 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 0.974 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 Quinoa or Chia Seeds .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Cooked Quinoa 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 quinoa or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both quinoa and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 310% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does quinoa or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 50% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does quinoa or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 36 times more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does quinoa or chia seeds contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 420% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does quinoa or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 140% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.