Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Chia seeds vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

Compare

Summary of differences between chia seeds and quinoa

  • Quinoa has less fiber, phosphorus, selenium, manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B3, and vitamin B1 than chia seeds.
  • Chia seeds cover your daily need for fiber, 126% more than quinoa.
  • Chia seeds have 37 times more calcium than quinoa. While chia seeds have 631mg of calcium, quinoa has only 17mg.
  • The glycemic index of quinoa is higher.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Seeds, chia seeds, dried and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Chia seeds vs Quinoa infographic
Infographic link

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.
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%
Quinoa
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 46% 5.1% 15% 56% 64% 30% 65% 0.91% 82% 15%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +423.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +3611.8%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +136.6%
Contains more IronIron +418.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +381.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +320.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +465.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +331.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +1871.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium -56.3%

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.
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%
Quinoa
3
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 0% 0% 13% 0% 27% 25% 7.7% 0% 28% 0% 0% 32% 13%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +479.4%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +54.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +2043.2%
Contains more FolateFolate +16.7%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +26%
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
Quinoa
1
4% 2% 21% 72%
Protein: 4.4 g
Fats: 1.92 g
Carbs: 21.3 g
Water: 71.61 g
Other: 0.77 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +275.9%
Contains more FatsFats +1501%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +97.7%
Contains more OtherOther +523.4%
Contains more WaterWater +1134.7%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
11% 8% 81%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.33 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.309 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 23.665 g
Quinoa
1
13% 29% 59%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.231 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.078 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +337.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2095.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -93.1%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Chia seeds Quinoa DV% diff.
Polyunsaturated fat 23.665g 1.078g 151%
Fiber 34.4g 2.8g 126%
Phosphorus 860mg 152mg 101%
Selenium 55.2µg 2.8µg 95%
Manganese 2.723mg 0.631mg 91%
Copper 0.924mg 0.192mg 81%
Iron 7.72mg 1.49mg 78%
Magnesium 335mg 64mg 65%
Calcium 631mg 17mg 61%
Vitamin B3 8.83mg 0.412mg 53%
Fats 30.74g 1.92g 44%
Vitamin B1 0.62mg 0.107mg 43%
Zinc 4.58mg 1.09mg 32%
Protein 16.54g 4.4g 24%
Calories 486kcal 120kcal 18%
Saturated fat 3.33g 0.231g 14%
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 9%
Starch 17.63g 7%
Potassium 407mg 172mg 7%
Carbs 42.12g 21.3g 7%
Vitamin B2 0.17mg 0.11mg 5%
Choline 23mg 4%
Monounsaturated fat 2.309g 0.528g 4%
Folate 49µg 42µg 2%
Vitamin C 1.6mg 0mg 2%
Vitamin E 0.5mg 0.63mg 1%
Net carbs 7.72g 18.5g N/A
Sugar 0.87g N/A
Sodium 16mg 7mg 0%
Trans fat 0.14g N/A
Tryptophan 0.436mg 0.052mg 0%
Threonine 0.709mg 0.131mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.801mg 0.157mg 0%
Leucine 1.371mg 0.261mg 0%
Lysine 0.97mg 0.239mg 0%
Methionine 0.588mg 0.096mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.016mg 0.185mg 0%
Valine 0.95mg 0.185mg 0%
Histidine 0.531mg 0.127mg 0%
Omega-3 - DHA 0.015g N/A
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
Chia seeds Quinoa
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

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
32%
Chia seeds
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
221%
Chia seeds
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Quinoa
Quinoa contains less Sodium (difference - 9mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Quinoa
Quinoa is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 3.099g)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.87g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is lower in glycemic index (difference - 38)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Chia seeds
Chia seeds is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

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
  2. Quinoa - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168917/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.