Chia Seeds vs Flax Seeds: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Flax seeds have higher protein at 18.3 g, while chia seeds are lower in calories at 486. Chia seeds contain 16.5 g protein and 534 calories.

Chia seeds and flax seeds are popular superfoods known for their health benefits. This comparison will highlight their nutritional differences per 100 g.

What Is the Difference Between Chia Seeds and Flax Seeds?

Chia seeds are small black or white seeds from the Salvia hispanica plant, known for their high fiber and omega-3 fatty acid content. Flax seeds are small, brown or golden seeds from the flax plant, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and dietary fiber.

Chia Seeds vs Flax Seeds: Nutrition Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of chia seeds and flax seeds based on their nutritional values.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Chia seeds (dried)	Flaxseed
Calories	486 kcal	534 kcal
Protein	16.5 g	18.3 g
Carbs	42.1 g	28.9 g
Sugar	0 g	1.6 g
Fat	30.7 g	42.2 g
Fiber	34.4 g	27.3 g
Sodium	16 mg	30 mg

Which Is Better, Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds?

For weight loss: Chia seeds are lower in calories at 486 compared to flax seeds at 534, making them a better choice for weight loss.

For muscle and protein: Flax seeds provide more protein at 18.3 g, while chia seeds offer 16.5 g of protein.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Chia seeds have 42.1 g of carbs and 0 g of sugar, while flax seeds contain 28.9 g of carbs and 1.6 g of sugar.

How to Track Chia seeds and Flax seeds Accurately

It can be easy to misjudge portion sizes and macronutrient content when comparing seeds. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational use and should not be considered medical advice. This comparison is based on a per-100g basis. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein?

Flax seeds have more protein at 18.3 g compared to chia seeds at 16.5 g.

Which has fewer calories?

Chia seeds have fewer calories at 486, while flax seeds have 534 calories.

What is the fiber content in chia seeds?

Chia seeds contain 34.4 g of fiber per 100 g.

What is the sugar content in flax seeds?

Flax seeds contain 1.6 g of sugar per 100 g.

How much fat do chia seeds have?

Chia seeds have 30.7 g of fat per 100 g.

What is the sodium content in flax seeds?

Flax seeds contain 30 mg of sodium per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Chia seeds: 486 calories, 16.5 g protein, 42.1 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 30.7 g fat, 34.4 g fiber, 16 mg sodium.
• Flax seeds: 534 calories, 18.3 g protein, 28.9 g carbs, 1.6 g sugar, 42.2 g fat, 27.3 g fiber, 30 mg sodium.
• Chia seeds are lower in calories than flax seeds.
• Flax seeds have more protein than chia seeds.
• Chia seeds have higher fiber content than flax seeds.
• Flax seeds contain more fat compared to chia seeds.