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Cereal vs. Chia seeds — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between cereal and chia seeds

  • Cereal is richer in vitamin B1, iron, vitamin B2, and vitamin B3, yet chia seeds are richer in fiber, phosphorus, selenium, copper, manganese, and magnesium.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B1 for cereal is 472% higher.
  • Cereal contains 23 times more vitamin B2 than chia seeds. Cereal contains 3.87mg of vitamin B2, while chia seeds contain 0.17mg.
  • Chia seeds have a lower glycemic index than cereal.

Food types used in this article are Cereals ready-to-eat, USDA Commodity Corn and Rice (includes all commodity brands) and Seeds, chia seeds, dried.

Infographic

Cereal vs Chia seeds infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Cereal
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 3% 9.3% 1277% 46% 207% 33% 104% 103% 34%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 239% 189% 36% 290% 308% 125% 369% 2.1% 355% 301%
Contains more IronIron +341.2%
Contains more ZincZinc +65.9%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +1663.2%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +6210%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +287.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +574.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +1016.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -98%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +244.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +776.2%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Cereal
7
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 128% 271% 1.6% 0% 1572% 893% 555% 14% 1381% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 5.3% 0% 10% 0% 155% 39% 166% 0% 0% 0% 0% 37% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +2306.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +914.2%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +2176.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +235.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +525%
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
1
6% 87% 4% 2%
Protein: 6.06 g
Fats: 1.08 g
Carbs: 86.85 g
Water: 3.78 g
Other: 2.23 g
17% 31% 42% 6% 5%
Protein: 16.54 g
Fats: 30.74 g
Carbs: 42.12 g
Water: 5.8 g
Other: 4.8 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +106.2%
Contains more ProteinProtein +172.9%
Contains more FatsFats +2746.3%
Contains more WaterWater +53.4%
Contains more OtherOther +115.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
1
32% 25% 43%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.26 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.204 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.354 g
11% 8% 81%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.33 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.309 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 23.665 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -92.2%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +1031.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +6585%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Cereal Chia seeds
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in price Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cereal Chia seeds DV% diff.
Vitamin B1 6.288mg 0.62mg 472%
Vitamin B6 5.986mg 460%
Iron 34.06mg 7.72mg 329%
Vitamin B2 3.87mg 0.17mg 285%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.354g 23.665g 155%
Fiber 1.4g 34.4g 132%
Vitamin B3 29.62mg 8.83mg 130%
Phosphorus 77mg 860mg 112%
Vitamin A 814µg 90%
Selenium 6.3µg 55.2µg 89%
Copper 0.137mg 0.924mg 87%
Manganese 0.79mg 2.723mg 84%
Magnesium 19mg 335mg 75%
Calcium 10mg 631mg 62%
Fats 1.08g 30.74g 46%
Vitamin C 38.5mg 1.6mg 41%
Sodium 795mg 16mg 34%
Zinc 7.6mg 4.58mg 27%
Protein 6.06g 16.54g 21%
Carbs 86.85g 42.12g 15%
Saturated fat 0.26g 3.33g 14%
Folate 49µg 12%
Potassium 105mg 407mg 9%
Monounsaturated fat 0.204g 2.309g 5%
Calories 378kcal 486kcal 5%
Vitamin B5 0.226mg 5%
Vitamin E 0.08mg 0.5mg 3%
Net carbs 85.45g 7.72g N/A
Sugar 10.35g N/A
Trans fat 0.14g N/A
Tryptophan 0.066mg 0.436mg 0%
Threonine 0.241mg 0.709mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.26mg 0.801mg 0%
Leucine 0.767mg 1.371mg 0%
Lysine 0.113mg 0.97mg 0%
Methionine 0.13mg 0.588mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.365mg 1.016mg 0%
Valine 0.344mg 0.95mg 0%
Histidine 0.162mg 0.531mg 0%
Fructose 0.26g 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 17.83g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 5.835g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cereal Chia seeds
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
371%
Cereal
32%
Chia seeds
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
183%
Cereal
221%
Chia seeds

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in Sugar (difference - 10.35g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds contains less Sodium (difference - 779mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in glycemic index (difference - 54)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 0mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 3.07g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cereal
Cereal is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Chia seeds - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170554/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.