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Flaxseed

Oily seed used ground in baking and as an egg substitute.

Flaxseed — illustrative ingredient image

About Flaxseed

Flaxseed, also called linseed, is the oily seed of the flax plant. It is used whole, cracked, or ground in breads, cereals, crackers, smoothies, and baked goods. Ground flaxseed can be mixed with water to form a binding gel useful in some baking recipes.

Its flavour is mild, nutty, and faintly earthy, becoming more pronounced as the seed is ground or warmed. Whole seeds are firm and lightly crunchy, while ground flaxseed has a soft, meal-like texture. Hydrated ground seed becomes thick and slippery as its soluble fibre swells.

The small, oval seeds are commonly brown or golden. They are sold whole, cracked, ground, or as meal, and may be toasted before use. Grinding exposes more surface area and shortens storage life; soaking, cooking, and baking progressively soften the seed and alter its aroma.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where flaxseed appears

1 linked foods

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Dips

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for flaxseed

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Flaxseed

flaxseed

English

linseed

English

flaxseed (ground)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Lin, brun, graine

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Seeds, flaxseed

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.

Flaxseed nutrition & diet

Flaxseed nutritional value

Seed, linseed or flaxseed

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the stated food form.

Calories
450kcal
Protein
21.6g
Carbs
2.8g
Fat
32.6g

Reference values apply to the named food form, not every preparation, variety or brand. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand. AFCD Release 3, food F008210. 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

Specify whole, ground, or partially defatted flaxseed and use the form actually eaten. Grinding changes texture and how it is incorporated; soaking creates a gel used in baking or as an egg substitute. Preparation with flour, sweeteners, oils, or other ingredients should be recorded separately from plain seed.

Compare the right form: Match the reference to whole or ground flaxseed, or a flax-based egg substitute, identifying defatting, soaking, and any added ingredients.

Diet considerations

Flaxseed is plant-derived. Compatibility changes when it is sold as a baking mix or combined with egg, dairy, cereal flour, sweeteners, or coatings. Plain seed and a prepared egg substitute have different ingredient profiles. Carbohydrate patterns depend on portion and the recipe in which the flax is used.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not 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.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

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, linseed or flaxseed ↗. 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: .