Chia Seeds vs. Water Chestnut
Nutrition comparison of Chia Seeds and Water Chestnut
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chia seeds
versus
water chestnut
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chia seeds and water chestnut:
- Both water chestnut and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, water chestnut contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
- Water chestnut has 127 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) and Water Chestnut (Waterchestnuts, chinese, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chia seed is high in calories and water chestnut has 80% less calories than chia seed - water chestnut has 97 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chia seeds is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to water chestnut per calorie. Chia seeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:33:54 and for water chestnut, 6:94:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chia Seeds | Water Chestnut | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 33% | 94% |
| Fat | 54% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and water chestnut has 43% less carbohydrates than chia seed - water chestnut has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both water chestnut and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 10 times more dietary fiber than water chestnut - water chestnut has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Chia seed has less sugar than water chestnut - water chestnut has 4.8g 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 10 times more protein than water chestnut - water chestnut has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Water chestnut has 127 times less saturated fat than chia seed - water chestnut has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and water chestnut are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and water chestnut does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Water chestnut and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - water chestnut has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than water chestnut - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and water chestnut does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Water chestnut and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - water chestnut has 1.2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Water chestnut and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - water chestnut has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, water chestnut contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both chia seeds and water chestnut contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Chia Seeds | Water Chestnut | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.62 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.17 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Niacin | 8.83 MG | 1 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.479 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | ~ | 0.328 MG |
| Folate | 49 UG | 16 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 56 times more calcium than water chestnut - water chestnut has 11mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 127 times more iron than water chestnut - water chestnut has 0.06mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both water chestnut and chia seeds are high in potassium. Water chestnut has 43% more potassium than chia seed - water chestnut has 584mg 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 water chestnut per 100 grams.
| Chia Seeds | Water Chestnut | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 17.83 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 17.83 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than water chestnut per 100 grams.
| Chia Seeds | Water Chestnut | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.093 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 5.835 G | 0.032 G |
| Total | 5.928 G | 0.032 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 Chia Seeds or Water Chestnut .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) and Water Chestnut (Waterchestnuts, chinese, raw) .
Chia Seeds g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Water Chestnut g
()
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does water chestnut or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Chia seed is high in calories and water chestnut has 80% less calories than chia seed - water chestnut has 97 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does water chestnut or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and water chestnut has 40% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - water chestnut has 23.9g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does water chestnut or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 56 times more calcium than water chestnut - water chestnut has 11mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does water chestnut or chia seeds contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 127 times more iron than water chestnut - water chestnut has 0.06mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does water chestnut or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both water chestnut and chia seeds are high in potassium. Water chestnut has 40% more potassium than chia seed - water chestnut has 584mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.