Whole Wheat Flour vs. Chia Seeds

Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Flour and Chia Seeds


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat flour and chia seeds:

  • Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Chia seed has more thiamin, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Whole wheat flour has 6.7 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
Detailed nutritional comparison of whole wheat flour 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: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Whole Wheat Flour src
Image of Chia Seeds src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 46% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat flour is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Whole wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 11:84:5 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Whole Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
Protein 11% 13%
Carbohydrates 84% 33%
Fat 5% 54%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour has 77% more carbohydrates than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 163% more dietary fiber than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Chia seed has less sugar than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in protein. Chia seed has 72% more protein than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Whole wheat flour has 6.7 times less saturated fat than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chia seeds and whole wheat flour are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chia seed has more Vitamin C than whole wheat flour - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chia seed has more Vitamin A than whole wheat flour - chia seed has 16.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Chia seed has more thiamin, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.

Whole Wheat Flour Chia Seeds
Thiamin 0.297 MG 0.62 MG
Riboflavin 0.188 MG 0.17 MG
Niacin 5.347 MG 8.83 MG
Pantothenic acid 1.011 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.191 MG ~
Folate 28 UG 49 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.

iron

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 108% more iron than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.

potassium

Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for potassium - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium per 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.




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 Whole Wheat Flour or Chia Seeds .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .

Whole Wheat Flour g

()
Daily Values (%)

Chia Seeds g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 50% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.

Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour has 80% more carbohydrates than chia seed - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.

Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 110% more iron than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.

Does whole wheat flour or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat flour and chia seeds are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for potassium - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.