Wheat Germ vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Germ 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 germ
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat germ and chia seeds:
- Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 35% more calories than wheat germ - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat germ is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chia seeds per calorie. Wheat germ has a macronutrient ratio of 24:54:23 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Germ | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 54% | 33% |
| Fat | 23% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Wheat germ has 23% more carbohydrates than chia seed - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 161% more dietary fiber than wheat germ - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in protein. Wheat germ has 40% more protein than chia seed - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Wheat germ has 50% less saturated fat than chia seed - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and wheat germ are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than wheat germ - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than wheat germ - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chia seed has more Vitamin E than wheat germ - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both wheat germ and chia seeds contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Wheat Germ | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.882 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.499 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 6.813 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.257 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 281 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 23% more iron than wheat germ - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 119% more potassium than chia seed - wheat germ has 892mg 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 germ per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.723 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 0.723 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both wheat germ and chia seeds contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Wheat Germ | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 5.287 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 5.287 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 Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Wheat Germ 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 wheat germ or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 40% more calories than wheat germ - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does wheat germ or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. wheat germ has 20% more carbohydrates than chia seed - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than wheat germ - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does wheat germ or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 20% more iron than wheat germ - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and chia seeds are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 120% more potassium than chia seed - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.