chia seed
Chia Seed
Tiny seed that forms a gel in liquid, used in drinks and puddings.
About Chia Seed
Chia seed is the small edible seed of the chia plant. It is used whole in drinks, puddings, porridges, baked goods, jams, and other preparations where its ability to absorb liquid and thicken mixtures is useful.
Dry chia seeds have a mild, nutty or seed-like flavour and a tiny, firm crunch. When soaked, they develop a slippery gelatinous coating and make the surrounding liquid thicker. Grinding changes their texture and distributes them more evenly through batters, cereals, or drinks.
The seeds are commonly sold whole in black, grey, mottled, or pale varieties. They may be eaten dry, stirred into liquid, soaked until swollen, or ground before use. Colour differences generally have less effect on cooking behaviour than the seed’s form and hydration.
- Ingredient type
- whole food
FOLLOW IT TO THE PLATE
Where will you meet it?
Explore the dishes that use this ingredient and their country and cuisine connections.
Explore linked dishesON A MENU OR LABEL
Find local names and written forms to help recognise this ingredient.
See local namesWhere chia seed appears
0 linked foodsFind foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.
Food connections are still being added.
No linked foods are available for this ingredient yet.
Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.
Local names for chia seed
Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.
chia seed (dried)
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
chia seed (whole or pieces)
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
chia seed powder
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Chia seeds, dry, raw
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Seed, chia, dried
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
white chia seed
Search alias · Not a confirmed translation
Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.
Name not available yet.
A name in English has not been added for chia seed. Choose another language to see its available names.
Chia Seed nutrition & diet
Chia Seed nutritional value
Seed, chia, dried
Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.
- Calories
- 436.2kcal
- Protein
- 23.8g
- Carbs
- 3.1g
- Fat
- 29.8g
Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AFCD Release 3, food F008209. Available carbohydrate excludes sugar alcohols; energy converted from kJ to kcal (÷4.184). Australian data may not be appropriate for use in other countries. There are limitations associated with food composition databases. Food composition data used in the database or databases may represent an average of the nutrient content of a particular sample of foods and ingredients, determined at a particular time. The nutrient composition of foods and ingredients can vary substantially between batches and brands because of a number of factors, including changes in season, processing practices and ingredient source, and methods of calculation. Data licensed under the FSANZ Data User Licence Agreement, based on CC BY-SA 3.0 AU: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/monitoringnutrients/afcd/datauserlicenceagreement.
Portions & preparation
Use whole chia seed as the reference and distinguish dry seed from soaked or ground preparations. The seed absorbs liquid and changes volume and texture during soaking, so a portion measured in a pudding or drink is not directly comparable to dry seed. Consider added milk, sweeteners, fruit, or flavorings separately.
Compare the right form: Match references to whole, ground, dry, or soaked chia seed as used, and identify the edible seed portion apart from the surrounding liquid.
Diet considerations
Chia seed is plant-origin and plain seed is commonly used in plant-based recipes. Compatibility changes when it is packaged in mixes or prepared with dairy, honey, gelatin, cereal ingredients, or sweetened beverages. Its carbohydrate pattern depends on portion and formulation, especially when chia is included in puddings, bars, baked goods, or drinks.
AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.
Dietary compatibility
- VeganNot established
- VegetarianNot established
- PescatarianNot established
- KetoNot established
- PaleoNot established
- Low-carbNot established
- HalalNot established
- KosherNot established
What these diet assessments mean
- Vegan · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Vegetarian · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Pescatarian · Not established
- The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
- Keto · Not established
- A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
- Paleo · Not established
- The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
- Low-carb · Not established
- A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
- Halal · Not established
- Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
- Kosher · Not established
- Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.
For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.
AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.
Sources & review
Nutrition reference: Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3, 2025 — Seed, chia, dried ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.
Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.
The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.
Last recorded verification: .