Plant · seed
Chia Seeds
Chia Seeds provides 17 g of protein per 100 g (17 g per typical serving).
17gprotein / 100 g
- Per serving
- 17 g (2 tbsp · 100 g)
- Calories
- 486 kcal / 100 g
- Protein density
- 3.5 g / 100 kcal
PDCAAS
0.60
Scale 0–1 (capped at 1.0)
DIAAS
50%
Moderate quality
Leucine
1.3 g
1.3 g per serving
Digestion
Medium
Best: Anytime
Limiting amino acid
Lysine
Pair it to complete the profile
Nutrition per 100 g
- Protein 17 g 13% kcal
- Fat 31 g 54% kcal
- Carbs 42 g 33% kcal
| Calories | 486 kcal |
|---|---|
| Leucine | 1,300 mg (7.6% of protein) |
| Lysine | 700 mg |
| Typical serving | 2 tbsp (100 g) |
Leucine threshold
About 2.5–3 g of leucine per meal maximally switches on muscle protein synthesis.
2.5 g
One serving (2 tbsp) = 1.3 g leucine
About 1.9 servings reach the threshold, or combine with a leucine-rich food.
Pair it with
- Beans, lentils or chickpeasLegumes are lysine-rich, the classic rice + beans match.
- Tofu, tempeh or edamameSoy brings lysine and a high PDCAAS (0.91).
- Hummus (chickpea) with this foodHummus + pita is a complete-protein pairing.
Cost & footprint
- Cost per gram of protein
- $0.025
- Cost for 30 g protein
- ≈ $0.75
- Carbon footprint
- 2.2 kg CO₂e / kg
LowHigh
US retail estimates; prices and emissions vary by region and producer.