Tofu vs. Flaxseeds
Nutrition comparison of Tofu and Flaxseeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tofu
versus
flaxseeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tofu and flaxseeds:
- Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in calcium, iron and protein.
- Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Flaxseed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium.
- Tofu has 4.3 times less saturated fat than flaxseed.
- Tofu has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Flaxseed is high in calories and tofu has 86% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tofu is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to flaxseeds per calorie. Tofu has a macronutrient ratio of 39:9:52 and for flaxseeds, 13:21:66 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tofu | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 9% | 21% |
| Fat | 52% | 66% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Tofu has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in flaxseeds are made of 95% dietary fiber and 5% sugar, whereas the carbs in tofu comprise of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Flaxseed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 90 times more dietary fiber than tofu - flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Flaxseeds and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in protein. Flaxseed has 126% more protein than tofu - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Tofu has 4.3 times less saturated fat than flaxseed - flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Flaxseeds and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Tofu has more Vitamin A than flaxseed - tofu has 25.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flaxseeds and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Flaxseeds and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Tofu | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.081 MG | 1.644 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.052 MG | 0.161 MG |
| Niacin | 0.195 MG | 3.08 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.068 MG | 0.985 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.047 MG | 0.473 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 87 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 37% more calcium than flaxseed - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in iron. Flaxseed has a little more iron (7%) than tofu by weight - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of potassium and it has 572% more potassium than tofu - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than tofu per 100 grams.
| Tofu | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.319 G | 22.813 G |
| Total | 0.319 G | 22.813 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than tofu per 100 grams.
| Tofu | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 2.38 G | 5.903 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.007 G |
| Total | 2.38 G | 5.91 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.
Tofu g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Flaxseeds 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 flaxseeds or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Flaxseed is high in calories and tofu has 90% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is flaxseeds or tofu better for protein?
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in protein. Flaxseed has 130% more protein than tofu - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does flaxseeds or tofu contain more calcium?
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 40% more calcium than flaxseed - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does flaxseeds or tofu contain more iron?
Both flaxseeds and tofu are high in iron. Flaxseed has a little more iron ( 10%) than tofu by weight - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
Does flaxseeds or tofu contain more potassium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of potassium and it has 570% more potassium than tofu - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium in 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.