Cornstarch vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Cornstarch and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cornstarch
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cornstarch and chia seeds:
- Both cornstarch and chia seeds are high in calories and carbohydrates.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Cornstarch has 369 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cornstarch (Cornstarch) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cornstarch and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 28% more calories than cornstarch - cornstarch has 381 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cornstarch is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chia seeds per calorie. Cornstarch has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cornstarch | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 100% | 33% |
| Fat | ~ | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cornstarch and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Cornstarch has 117% more carbohydrates than chia seed - cornstarch has 91.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Chia seed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 37 times more dietary fiber than cornstarch - cornstarch has 0.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
Protein
protein
Chia seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 62 times more protein than cornstarch - cornstarch has 0.26g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cornstarch has 369 times less saturated fat than chia seed - cornstarch has 0.01g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and cornstarch are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and cornstarch does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than cornstarch - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cornstarch does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chia seed has more Vitamin A than cornstarch - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cornstarch does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chia seed has more Vitamin E than cornstarch - chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cornstarch does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Cornstarch | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | ~ | 8.83 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 314 times more calcium than cornstarch - cornstarch has 2mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Chia seed is an excellent source of iron and it has 15 times more iron than cornstarch - cornstarch has 0.47mg 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 134 times more potassium than cornstarch - cornstarch has 3mg of potassium per 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than cornstarch per 100 grams.
| Cornstarch | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.025 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 0.025 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: Cornstarch (Cornstarch) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Cornstarch 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 cornstarch or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cornstarch and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 30% more calories than cornstarch - cornstarch has 381 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does cornstarch or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cornstarch and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. cornstarch has 120% more carbohydrates than chia seed - cornstarch has 91.3g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does cornstarch or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 314 times more calcium than cornstarch - cornstarch has 2mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does cornstarch or chia seeds contain more iron?
Chia seed is an abundant source of iron and it has 15 times more iron than cornstarch - cornstarch has 0.47mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does cornstarch or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Chia seed is a rich source of potassium and it has 134 times more potassium than cornstarch - cornstarch has 3mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.