Flaxseeds vs. Broccoli

Nutrition comparison of Flaxseeds and Broccoli


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

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

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

  • Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Broccoli has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed.
  • Broccoli has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed.
  • Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K.
  • Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
  • Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
  • Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of flaxseeds and broccoli 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 Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Flaxseeds src
Image of Broccoli src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Flaxseed is high in calories and broccoli has 94% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories per 100 grams and broccoli has 34 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, flaxseeds is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to broccoli per calorie. Flaxseeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:66 and for broccoli, 28:65:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Flaxseeds Broccoli
Protein 13% 28%
Carbohydrates 21% 65%
Fat 66% 7%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Broccoli has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 950% more dietary fiber than broccoli - flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Flaxseeds and broccoli contain similar amounts of sugar - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and broccoli has 1.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Flaxseed is an excellent source of protein and it has 549% more protein than broccoli - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Broccoli has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed - flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.11g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 147 times more Vitamin C than flaxseed - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and broccoli has 89.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Broccoli has more Vitamin A than flaxseed - broccoli has 31ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Flaxseeds and broccoli contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.78mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 22 times more Vitamin K than flaxseed - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and broccoli has 101.6ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Flaxseeds Broccoli
Thiamin 1.644 MG 0.071 MG
Riboflavin 0.161 MG 0.117 MG
Niacin 3.08 MG 0.639 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.985 MG 0.573 MG
Vitamin B6 0.473 MG 0.175 MG
Folate 87 UG 63 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 443% more calcium than broccoli - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium per 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.

iron

Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and it has 685% more iron than broccoli - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.

potassium

Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 157% more potassium than broccoli - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium per 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg 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 Broccoli
lutein + zeaxanthin 651 UG 1403 UG
beta-carotene ~ 361 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 25 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Flaxseeds Broccoli
alpha linoleic acid 22.813 G 0.0215 G
Total 22.813 G 0.0215 G

omega 6s

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

Flaxseeds Broccoli
other omega 6 0.052 G 0.006 G
linoleic acid 5.903 G 0.049 G
Total 5.955 G 0.055 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 Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) .

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FAQ

Does flaxseeds or broccoli contain more calories in 100 grams?
Flaxseed is high in calories and broccoli has 90% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories in 100g and broccoli has 34 calories.

Does flaxseeds or broccoli have more carbohydrates?
By weight, broccoli has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of carbs for 100g and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.

Does flaxseeds or broccoli contain more calcium?
Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 440% more calcium than broccoli - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium in 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.

Does flaxseeds or broccoli contain more iron?
Flaxseed is an abundant source of iron and it has 690% more iron than broccoli - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron in 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.

Does flaxseeds or broccoli contain more potassium?
Both flaxseeds and broccoli are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 160% more potassium than broccoli - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium in 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg of potassium.