How much protein is in chia seeds?
Chia seeds has 4.6 g of protein per 1 oz (28 g, ~2.5 tbsp) — that's 16.5 g per 100 g, or about 4.7 g per ounce. One 1 oz is roughly 9% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · dried · FDC 170554
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28 g, ~2.5 tbsp) | 4.6 g | 136 | 8.6 g | 11.8 g |
| 100 g | 16.5 g | 486 | 30.7 g | 42.1 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 4.7 g | 138 | 8.7 g | 11.9 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 170554, SR Legacy). dried.
Chia is one of the most over-promised foods in the health aisle, sold as a protein superfood when it’s really something else entirely. A real-world serving is 1 oz (28 g, about 2.5 tablespoons), and that delivers just ~4.6 g of protein for ~136 calories. The 16.5 g of protein per 100 g on the data sheet looks respectable, but 100 g of chia is about 3.5 ounces and 486 calories — nobody eats that in a sitting. So if you came to chia for protein, the honest answer is that there’s a little here, but it isn’t the reason to keep a bag in the cupboard.
There is one place chia genuinely beats other plants on protein, though: quality. Unlike most nuts and seeds, chia protein is complete — it contains all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts, including the lysine that almonds, walnuts, and cashews are short on. That’s a real point in its favor. The limitation is simply quantity: a complete protein at ~4.6 g per serving still won’t move the needle on a daily target. Chia’s protein is high-quality but low-volume, which is the opposite of what the “superfood” framing implies.
What chia is actually built for
The real headline is fiber. At 34.4 g per 100 g — roughly 9.6 g in a single ounce — chia is one of the most fiber-dense foods you can buy, and almost all of it is the soluble kind. That’s the property behind the chia pudding trick: the seeds gel and absorb many times their weight in water, swelling into a thick, satiating mass that’s why a tablespoon or two folded into overnight oats or stirred into liquid sets up overnight. That gelling fiber is what makes chia genuinely useful for fullness and digestion, in a way the protein number never was.
Right behind the fiber sits chia’s other real asset: plant omega-3 (ALA). Of the 30.7 g of fat per 100 g, an unusually large share is alpha-linolenic acid, the plant form of omega-3 that’s hard to get outside of foods like walnuts and flax. You also pick up meaningful calcium (~177 mg per ounce) and iron along the way. Taken together, that’s the accurate way to read chia: a fiber-and-omega-3 food with a side of complete-but-small protein and a few useful minerals.
How to actually use it
Treat chia as a texture-and-nutrient add-on, not a protein source. Stir a tablespoon into oats or yogurt, build a pudding by soaking it in milk overnight, or whisk it into a smoothie where the gelling adds body. Just don’t expect it to carry a protein meal — for that, pair it with foods built for the job, like a scoop of whey, eggs, or a spoonful of peanut butter, and let chia do what it’s genuinely good at. If you’re working toward a daily number, our guide on how much protein per day shows where a food like chia fits (a small bonus) and where it doesn’t (the main event).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in chia seeds?
About 4.6 g of protein in a 1 oz serving (28 g, roughly 2.5 tbsp), which is 16.5 g per 100 g, or about 4.6 g per ounce (USDA FDC 170554). That same ounce runs about 136 calories — chia carries a little protein, but it's the fiber and omega-3 fat doing the real work.
Are chia seeds a good protein source?
Not in the way the marketing suggests. The 16.5 g per 100 g figure sounds high, but 100 g is about 3.5 ounces and 486 calories — nobody eats that. A realistic 1 oz serving delivers only ~4.6 g of protein. Chia is mis-sold as a protein superfood; it's really a fiber-and-omega-3 food that happens to bring a modest amount of protein along.
How much chia is a serving?
A standard serving is 1 oz (28 g), about 2.5 tablespoons dry, which is roughly 136 calories. Because chia gels and absorbs many times its weight in water, that small dry scoop swells into a much larger volume once soaked — which is part of why a little goes a long way in puddings and overnight oats.
Is chia protein complete?
Yes, unusually for a plant. Chia protein contains all nine essential amino acids in usable amounts, so its quality is genuinely good — better than most nuts. The catch is quantity, not quality: even though the protein is complete, you only get ~4.6 g per realistic serving, so chia still can't anchor a protein target on its own.
What are chia seeds actually good for nutritionally?
Soluble fiber above all — about 9.6 g per ounce (34.4 g per 100 g), one of the highest of any common food, which is why chia gels and supports satiety and digestion. It's also a strong plant source of omega-3 (ALA), plus calcium (~177 mg per ounce) and iron. Think of chia as a fiber-and-omega-3 add-on, not a protein one.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 170554 (Seeds, chia seeds, dried; SR Legacy). We re-verify pages periodically and update when USDA revises its reference data.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.