The short answer is that eating chia and flax seeds together is a great way to eat more of these 2 “superfoods” that have a ton of nutrients.
There’s a limit to how much of either seed you can add to a meal before it tastes overwhelming, but adding both seeds can let you eat more of them overall.
We’re going to look at how the nutritional value of a mixture of chia and flax seeds compares to either seed alone.
Nutritional Value of a Chia and Flax Seed Mixture
In order to compare the nutrition in this context fairly, we’re going to look at 100 grams of 3 different options:
- Just chia seeds
- Just flax seeds
- A 50/50 mixture of chia and flax
In reality, you can likely eat more total weight of a mixture than either alone, so you’ll get even more nutritional value from these seeds.
Macronutrient Comparison
Let’s start by looking at the main nutrients of these seed varieties.
| Chia seeds | Flaxseed | Chia + Flax Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount (g) | 100 | 100 | 50/50 |
| Energy (kcal) | 486.7 | 534 | 510.35 |
| Protein (g) | 16.5 | 18.3 | 17.4 |
| Total Lipid (g) | 30.7 | 42.1 | 36.4 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 42.1 | 28.9 | 35.5 |
| Fiber (g) | 34.3 | 27.2 | 30.75 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 1.6 | 0.8 |
Both seeds have fairly similar profiles, but there are a few significant differences:
- Flax is higher in fat and calories
- Chia seeds are higher in carbohydrates
- Chia seeds are higher in fiber (and also net carbohydrates)
When you mix them together, you get a nice mixture.
Omega Fats
When it comes to plant-based sources of omega 3 fats, both of these seeds are near the top of the list.
For reference, most research suggests that the ideal ratio of omega 6:3 fats is 4:1 or below, so both of these seeds are way better than that.
| Chia Seeds | Flaxseed | Chia + Flax Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omega 3 Fats | 17.8 | 22.8 | 20.3 |
| Omega 6 Fats | 5.84 | 5.9 | 5.87 |
| Omega 6:3 Ratio | 0.33 | 0.26 | 0.295 |
With that being said, flax does have an extra 5 grams of omega 3 fats per 100 gram serving.
If you’re curious about other seeds, see our table of the omega 3 to 6 fats ratios of seeds.
Vitamins and Minerals
Finally, let’s look at the nutrients that contribute greatly to the reason that these seeds are so healthy overall.
This is a list of all the vitamins and minerals that either seed has a significant amount of (per 100 grams). There’s also a column of the recommended daily amount (RDA) for a quick comparison.
| RDA | Chia seeds | Flaxseed | Chia + Flax Mix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese (mg) | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 700 | 860 | 640.8 | 750.4 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 400 | 333.3 | 393.2 | 363.25 |
| Thiamin (mg) | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
| Selenium (µg) | 55 | 55.3 | 25.2 | 40.25 |
| Zinc (mg) | 11 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.45 |
| Potassium (mg) | 2000 | 406.7 | 810.7 | 608.7 |
| Niacin (mg) | 16 | 8.8 | 3.1 | 5.95 |
| Calcium (mg) | 1200 | 630 | 257.3 | 443.65 |
| Vitamin B-6 (mg) | 1.3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.25 |
| Iron (mg) | 18 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 6.7 |
| Folate (µg) | 400 | 50 | 87.4 | 68.7 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
The mixture has a great nutritional profile, meeting or exceeding the RDA of some minerals in just a single 100 gram serving.
Both flax and chia seeds are excellent vegan sources of phosphorus and many other nutrients.
Benefits and Disadvantages of Eating Chia and Flax Seeds Together
It’s clear that both chia and flax seeds are quite similar nutritionally.
The biggest difference is their taste, and that’s why the biggest benefit of eating both chia and flax seeds together is that most people can eat more seeds overall.
With foods this healthy, that’s a very good thing.
There are some small benefits to eating a mixture of flax and chia seeds compared to flaxseed alone:
- Fewer calories
- Less fat
- More fiber
- Less sugar
- More phosphorus, selenium, and calcium
Similarly, compared to chia seeds alone the mixture has:
- More protein
- More fat
- Better omega 3 to 6 fat ratio
- Higher quantity of omega 3 fats
- More thiamin and potassium
You can’t go wrong including either seed in your diet, and both are even better.
