Kefir vs. Chia Seeds

Nutrition comparison of Kefir and Chia Seeds

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

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

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

  • Both chia seeds and kefir are high in calcium.
  • Chia seed has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, kefir contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
  • Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Kefir has 4 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
  • Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of kefir 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: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Kefir src
Image of Chia Seeds src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Chia seed is high in calories and kefir has 91% less calories than chia seed - chia seed has 486 calories per 100 grams and kefir has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, kefir is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chia seeds per calorie. Kefir has a macronutrient ratio of 35:44:21 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Kefir Chia Seeds
Protein 35% 13%
Carbohydrates 44% 33%
Fat 21% 54%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chia seed is high in carbohydrates and kefir has 89% less carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than kefir - chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and kefir does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Chia seed has less sugar than kefir - kefir has 4.6g 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 336% more protein than kefir - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Kefir has 4 times less saturated fat than chia seed - chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.66g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chia seeds and kefir are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Both kefir and chia seeds are low in cholesterol - kefir has 5mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chia seeds and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and kefir has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Kefir is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than chia seed - kefir has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Kefir has more Vitamin D than chia seed - kefir has 41iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chia seeds and kefir contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kefir has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Kefir and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - kefir has 0.1ug 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, kefir contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both kefir and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Kefir Chia Seeds
Thiamin 0.03 MG 0.62 MG
Riboflavin 0.135 MG 0.17 MG
Niacin 0.15 MG 8.83 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.385 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.058 MG ~
Folate 13 UG 49 UG
Vitamin B12 0.29 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both chia seeds and kefir are high in calcium. Chia seed has 385% more calcium than kefir - chia seed has 631mg of calcium per 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.

iron

Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 192 times more iron than kefir - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron per 100 grams and kefir has 0.04mg of iron.

potassium

Chia seed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 148% more potassium than kefir - chia seed has 407mg of potassium per 100 grams and kefir has 164mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kefir per 100 grams.

Kefir Chia Seeds
alpha linoleic acid 0.006 G 17.83 G
DPA 0.001 G ~
Total 0.007 G 17.83 G

omega 6s

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

Kefir Chia Seeds
other omega 6 0.002 G 0.093 G
linoleic acid 0.042 G 5.835 G
Total 0.044 G 5.928 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 Kefir or Chia Seeds .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Kefir (Kefir, lowfat, plain, LIFEWAY) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .

Kefir 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Chia Seeds 100g

( 100 g )
43KCAL 2%
calories >999%
486KCAL 24%
4.8G 2%
carbohydrates 775%
42G 17%
dietary fiber >999%
34G 138%
4.6G >999% sugar
1G 2%
total fat >999%
31G 48%
0.66G 4%
saturated fat 400%
3.3G 19%
0.31G monounsaturated fat 642% 2.3G
0.05G polyunsaturated fat >999% 24G
0.04G trans fat 249% 0.14G
5MG >999% cholesterol
40MG 3%
150% sodium
16MG 1%
Vitamins and Minerals
171UG 24%
>999% Vitamin A
0.2MG 0.3%
Vitamin C 700%
1.6MG 2%
41IU 8%
>999% Vitamin D
130MG 13%
calcium 385%
631MG 63%
0.04MG 0.2%
iron >999%
7.7MG 43%
12MG 4%
magnesium >999%
335MG 108%
164MG 7%
potassium 148%
407MG 18%
0.03MG 3%
thiamin (Vit B1) >999%
0.62MG 56%
0.14MG 12%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 21%
0.17MG 16%
0.15MG 1%
niacin (Vit B3) >999%
8.8MG 63%
0.06MG 5%
>999% Vitamin B6
0.39MG 8%
>999% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
13UG 3%
folate (Vit B9) 277%
49UG 12%
0.29UG 12%
>999% Vitamin B12
0.02MG 0.1%
Vitamin E >999%
0.5MG 3%
0.1UG 0.1%
>999% Vitamin K
3.8G 8%
protein 347%
17G 33%
15MG 4%
>999% choline
0.01MG 1%
copper >999%
0.92MG 77%
0.01MG 0.3%
manganese >999%
2.7MG 151%
105MG 15%
phosphorus 719%
860MG 123%
3.6UG 7%
selenium >999%
55UG 100%
0.46MG 6%
zinc 900%
4.6MG 57%
90G >999% Water 5.8G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Starch, Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, biotin (Vit B7).

FAQ

Does chia seeds or kefir contain more calories in 100 grams?
Chia seed is high in calories and kefir has 90% less calories than chia seed - chia seed has 486 calories in 100g and kefir has 43 calories.

Is chia seeds or kefir better for protein?
Chia seed is a fantastic source of protein and it has 340% more protein than kefir - chia seed has 16.5g of protein per 100 grams and kefir has 3.8g of protein.

Does chia seeds or kefir have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chia seed is high in carbohydrates and kefir has 90% fewer carbohydrates than chia seed - chia seed has 42.1g of carbs for 100g and kefir has 4.8g of carbohydrates.

Does chia seeds or kefir contain more calcium?
Both chia seeds and kefir are high in calcium. Chia seed has 390% more calcium than kefir - chia seed has 631mg of calcium in 100 grams and kefir has 130mg of calcium.

Does chia seeds or kefir contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 192 times more iron than kefir - chia seed has 7.7mg of iron in 100 grams and kefir has 0.04mg of iron.

Does chia seeds or kefir contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than kefir - chia seed has 407mg of potassium in 100 grams and kefir has 164mg of potassium.