Chia seeds - Carbs, Glycemic Index, Fats, Minerals, Vitamins & much more

Picture of Chia seeds

Chia seeds consist of 31% fat, 19% protein, 4% carbs, 34% fiber and 8% water. With 439 of calories per 100g Chia seeds are 81% lower than other foods in Nuts and seeds without shells. In total 64% of the calories in Chia seeds are from fat, 17% from protein and 4% from carbohydrates.

  • Very low Glycemic Index Glycemic Index: 1
  • Very low in carbs Only 0.8g carbs in a serving of 20g
  • Low Glycemic Load Glycemic Load: 0.0
  • High in zinc Covers 0.1% of Zinc RDA per portion
  • High in iron Covers 0.1% of Iron RDA per portion
  • High in magnesium Covers 0.2% of Magnesium RDA per portion
  • High in potassium Covers 0.0% of Potassium RDA per portion
  • High in vitamin B1 Covers 0.1% of Vitamin B1 RDA per portion
On this page you will find information on:

Can you eat Chia seeds for a low carb diet?

With 0.8g of carbs and a Glycemic Load of 0 in a portion of 20g, Chia seeds can be consumed for a ketogenic or low-carb diet. Chia seeds contain no Fructose, are Gluten free and have no Lactose.

Chia seeds: nutrition facts & data

Nutrition facts
per 100g 		Chia seeds
avg Nuts and seeds without shells[1]
Calories (kcal) 439.0 542.9
Fat (g) 31.0 45.8
Protein (g) 19.0 15.8
Carbohydrates (g) 4.0 11.5
Mono- & Di-Saccharides (g) 0.0 11.5
Polysaccharides (g) 4.0 11.5
Fibers (g) 34.0 11.1
Sodium (mg) 15.0 105.9
Water (g) 8.0 12.8
[1] average of Nuts and seeds without shells

Breakdown in percent (%) of total calories

An average portion size (20g) of Chia seeds contain:

  • 87.8 Calories
  • 6.2g of Fat
  • 3.8g of Protein
  • and 0.8g of Carbs
  • 3.0mg of sodium - 0.0% of the RDA for sodium.
  • 67.0mg of Magnesium, that covers 0.2% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Magnesium.
  • 0.9mg of Zinc - 0.1% of the RDA for Zinc.
  • 1.5mg of Iron - 0.1% of the RDA for Iron.
  • 81.0mg of Potassium - 0.0% of the RDA for Potassium.
  • 0.2mg of Vitamin C - 0.0% of the RDA for Vitamin C.
  • No Vitamin B12

For every gram of carbs in Chia seeds you get

  • 4.75 grams of protein compared to the average of 0.46g per gram of carbs among all foods. Other foods in Nuts and seeds without shells have on average 1.38g of proteins per 1 gram of carbs.
  • 7.75 grams of fat (total average 0.66g, other foods in Nuts and seeds without shells 3.98g)
  • 8.50 grams of fibers (total average 0.13g, other foods in Nuts and seeds without shells 0.97g)

Nutrient distribution per gram

What vitamins are in Chia seeds?

Vitamins
per 100g 		Chia seeds
avg[1]
Vitamin C (mg) 1.0 3.3
Vitamin E (mg) 0.5 7.5
Vitamin B1 / Thiamine (mg) 0.6 0.5
Vitamin B2 (mg) 0.2 0.2
Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.0 0.3
Vitamin B9 / Folate (μg) 0.0 63.1
Vitamin B12 (μg) 0.0 0.0
Retinol (μg) 0.0 0.0
beta-Carotene (μg) 30.0
[1] average of Nuts and seeds without shells

Are Chia seeds rich in vitamins?

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The following chart displays the amount of vitamins per portion Size (20g) for Chia seeds of the recommended daily allowance (RDA[1]) for each vitamin in percent.

[1]Avg. RDA for a 19-30 year old adult
Learn more about RDA values for vitamins by clicking on the names in the table above.

Minerals in Chia seeds

Minerals
per 100g 		Chia seeds
avg[1]
Magnesium (mg) 335.0 190.6
Zinc (mg) 4.6 3.2
Sodium (mg) 15.0 105.9
Calcium (mg) 630.0 191.0
Iron (mg) 7.7 4.2
Potassium (mg) 405.0 621.5
Phosphorus (mg) 860.0 418.8
[1] average of Nuts and seeds without shells

Are Chia seeds high in minerals?

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Again, for every mineral contained in Chia seeds we looked at the portion size (20g) and applied it to the recommended daily allowance (RDA[1]). Data is shown in percent of RDA per portion size.

[1]RDA for a 19-30 year old adult
Learn more about RDA values for minerals by clicking on the names in the table above.

Carbohydrates in Chia seeds

4.0% of Chia seeds are carbs, per serving of 20g that makes 0.8g of carbs.

Monosachharides and polysaccharides

Sugars
per 100g 		Chia seeds
avg[1]
Monosaccharides (g) 0.0 3.4
Polysaccharides (g) 4.0 8.0
Total carbs (g) 4.0 11.5
[1] average of Nuts and seeds without shells

How high are the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load for Chia seeds?

The Glycemic Index of Chia seeds is 1, which would be considered as low. The Glycemic Load in a normal serving is 0.0 and can be regarded as low.

Allergens in Chia seeds

  • are Gluten free
  • have no Lactose
  • no Fructose

Fatty acids and cholesterol in Chia seeds

Of the 31.0g total fat per 100g in Chia seeds, 3.3g are saturated fatty acids (SFA), 23.6g are monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and 2.3g are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The amount of cholesterol is 0.0mg.

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