Chia Seeds: Calories, Nutrition & Healthier Swaps
486 kcal per 100 g · Nutri-Score A
sugar: low saturated fat: medium salt: low fiber: high
Chia seeds are tiny but loaded with fiber and plant omega-3 (ALA). In liquid they swell into a pudding-like gel.
Chia Seeds nutrition facts per 100 g and per serving
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Serving: spoon, 15 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 486 kcal | 73 kcal |
| Protein | 17 g | 2.6 g |
| Fat | 31 g | 4.6 g |
| incl. saturated | 3.3 g | 0.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g | 6.3 g |
| incl. sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fiber | 34 g | 5.1 g |
| Salt | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-3 (ALA) | 17800 mg | 2670 mg |
Values per 100 g as eaten, averaged from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) and rounded — a specific brand or recipe will differ a little.
Chia Seeds: nutrition highlights
It has 5.1 g of fiber per serving — roughly 20% of the 25 g a day most adults fall short of. Plant omega-3 (ALA) comes to about 18 g per 100 g. There's almost no sugar: the carbohydrate is mostly starch.
On the open Nutri-Score algorithm, chia seeds gets an A: one of the better picks in its category. The score weighs calories, sugar, saturated fat and salt against protein, fiber and the share of fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
What to watch
- It's calorie-dense — 486 kcal per 100 g — so portion size matters most.
How much movement is one serving?
One serving (spoon, 15 g) is 73 kcal — roughly 24 min of easy walking or 9 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person. In the diary, minutes are worked out for your weight and the activities you actually do.
Healthier swaps for Chia Seeds
There's no swap in our base that is clearly better at the same calories — chia seeds is already one of the better choices in its category.
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