Flaxseeds vs. Bittersweet Chocolate

Nutrition comparison of Flaxseeds and Bittersweet Chocolate


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

We compared the nutritional contents of flaxseeds versus bittersweet chocolate (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flaxseeds and bittersweet chocolate:

  • Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in calcium, calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of flaxseeds and bittersweet chocolate 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: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Flaxseeds src
Image of Bittersweet Chocolate src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 20% more calories than flaxseed - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and flaxseed has 534 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, flaxseeds is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to bittersweet chocolate for carbs. Flaxseeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:66 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Flaxseeds Bittersweet Chocolate
Protein 13% 9%
Carbohydrates 21% 18%
Fat 66% 73%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of carbs - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 64% more dietary fiber than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in protein. Flaxseed has 28% more protein than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and flaxseed has 18.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Bittersweet chocolate is high in saturated fat and flaxseed has 89% less saturated fat than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Flaxseeds and bittersweet chocolate contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both flaxseeds and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Flaxseeds Bittersweet Chocolate
Thiamin 1.644 MG 0.147 MG
Riboflavin 0.161 MG 0.1 MG
Niacin 3.08 MG 1.355 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.985 MG 0.168 MG
Vitamin B6 0.473 MG 0.027 MG
Folate 87 UG 28 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 152% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.

iron

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 204% more iron than flaxseed - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.

potassium

Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate is very similar to flaxseed for potassium - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids,

Flaxseeds Bittersweet Chocolate
lutein + zeaxanthin 651 UG 38 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.

Flaxseeds Bittersweet Chocolate
alpha linoleic acid 22.813 G 0.117 G
Total 22.813 G 0.117 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.

Flaxseeds Bittersweet Chocolate
other omega 6 0.052 G 0.553 G
linoleic acid 5.903 G 1.435 G
Total 5.955 G 1.988 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: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .

Flaxseeds g

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does bittersweet chocolate or flaxseeds contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 20% more calories than flaxseed - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and flaxseed has 534 calories.

Does bittersweet chocolate or flaxseeds contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 150% more calcium than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.

Does bittersweet chocolate or flaxseeds contain more iron?
Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 200% more iron than flaxseed - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.

Does bittersweet chocolate or flaxseeds contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate is very similar to flaxseed for potassium - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.