Sesame and chia are both small seeds with an outsized nutrition reputation, though they’ve built that reputation on different strengths.
| Nutrient | Sesame Seeds | Chia Seeds |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 573 kcal | 517 kcal |
| Protein | 17.7 g ✓ | 17 g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 23.4 g | 38.3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 11.8 g | 34.4 g ✓ |
| Total Sugars | 0.3 g | 0 g ✓ |
| Total Fat | 49.7 g | 32.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.96 g | 3.33 g ✓ |
| Sodium | 11 mg | 0 mg ✓ |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Chia seeds pull ahead on almost every directly comparable number — dramatically more fibre, less saturated fat, and virtually no sodium — while sesame seeds hold a small protein edge. Sesame’s real strength doesn’t show up in this table: it’s one of the richest plant sources of calcium and other minerals around, which is why tahini and sesame-heavy diets are often flagged as useful for people avoiding dairy. Both are worth keeping in the kitchen; they’re not really substitutes for each other so much as complementary.
Common questions
Are sesame seeds a good source of calcium? Yes — sesame seeds are one of the richest plant sources of calcium available, which matters in particular for anyone limiting dairy, though the calcium in whole sesame seeds is less absorbable than in tahini or hulled seeds due to compounds in the seed coat.
Why is chia so much higher in fibre than sesame? It’s simply a trait of the seed — chia’s fibre content, largely soluble fibre that forms a gel with water, is exceptionally high even compared with other seeds, which is why chia is often used specifically for its gelling, thickening properties in puddings and jams.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.