Whole Milk vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Whole Milk and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole milk
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole milk and chia seeds:
- Both chia seeds and whole milk are high in calcium.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chia seed is high in calories and whole milk has 87% less calories than chia seed - chia seed has 486 calories per 100 grams and whole milk has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole milk is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for carbs. Whole milk has a macronutrient ratio of 21:32:48 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Milk | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 33% |
| Fat | 48% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 89% less carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than whole milk - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chia seed has less sugar than whole milk - whole milk has 5.1g 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 425% more protein than whole milk - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and whole milk has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Whole milk has 44% less saturated fat than chia seed - chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole milk has 1.9g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and whole milk are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Chia seed has less cholesterol than whole milk - whole milk has 10mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than whole milk - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole milk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Whole milk has more Vitamin A than chia seed - whole milk has 46ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Whole milk has signficantly more Vitamin D than chia seed - whole milk has 51iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chia seeds and whole milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole milk and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole milk 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, whole milk contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both whole milk and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Whole Milk | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.169 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 0.089 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.373 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.036 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 5 UG | 49 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.45 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both chia seeds and whole milk are high in calcium. Chia seed has 458% more calcium than whole milk - chia seed has 631mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 256 times more iron than whole milk - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron per 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
potassium
Chia seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 208% more potassium than whole milk - chia seed has 407mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.075 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 0.075 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than whole milk per 100 grams.
| Whole Milk | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.12 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 0.12 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: Whole Milk (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Whole Milk 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 chia seeds or whole milk contain more calories in 100 grams?Chia seed is high in calories and whole milk has 90% less calories than chia seed - chia seed has 486 calories in 100g and whole milk has 61 calories.
Does chia seeds or whole milk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and whole milk has 90% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of carbs for 100g and whole milk has 4.8g of carbohydrates.
Does chia seeds or whole milk contain more calcium?
Both chia seeds and whole milk are high in calcium. Chia seed has 460% more calcium than whole milk - chia seed has 631mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole milk has 113mg of calcium.
Does chia seeds or whole milk contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 256 times more iron than whole milk - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron in 100 grams and whole milk has 0.03mg of iron.
Does chia seeds or whole milk contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than whole milk - chia seed has 407mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole milk has 132mg of potassium.