Wheat Flour vs. Chia Seeds

Nutrition comparison of Wheat Flour and Chia Seeds

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

We compared the nutritional contents of wheat flour versus chia seeds (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat flour and chia seeds:

  • Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
  • Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and potassium.
  • Wheat flour has 12.6 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
  • Wheat flour has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of wheat flour 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Wheat Flour src
Image of Chia Seeds src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 35% more calories than wheat flour - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, wheat flour is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
Protein 14% 13%
Carbohydrates 82% 33%
Fat 4% 54%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Wheat flour has 72% more carbohydrates than chia seed - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 13 times more dietary fiber than wheat flour - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in protein. Chia seed has 38% more protein than wheat flour - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Wheat flour has 12.6 times less saturated fat than chia seed - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chia seed has more Vitamin C than wheat flour - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chia seed has more Vitamin A than wheat flour - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both wheat flour and chia seeds contain significant amounts of thiamin and niacin.

Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
Thiamin 0.812 MG 0.62 MG
Riboflavin 0.512 MG 0.17 MG
Niacin 7.554 MG 8.83 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.438 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.037 MG ~
Folate 183 UG 49 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 41 times more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.

iron

Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 75% more iron than wheat flour - wheat flour has 4.4mg 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 307% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg 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 wheat flour per 100 grams.

Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
alpha linoleic acid 0.043 G 17.83 G
Total 0.043 G 17.83 G

omega 6s

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

Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
linoleic acid 0.685 G 5.835 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.093 G
Total 0.685 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 40% more calories than wheat flour - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.

Does wheat flour or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. wheat flour has 70% more carbohydrates than chia seed - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 41 times more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.

Does wheat flour or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 80% more iron than wheat flour - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.

Does wheat flour or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 310% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.