The short answer
100 g of flaxseeds (raw) has 18.6 g of protein and 444 kcal.1 That's about 37% of the 50 g of protein ICMR-NIN suggests a day for a 60 kg adult.2
Nutrition in 100 g of flaxseeds
| Per 100 g | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 444 kcal (1857 kJ) |
| Protein | 18.6 g ± 0.2 |
| Fat | 35.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 11 g |
| Fibre | 26.2 g |
| Water | 5.5 g |
These figures are for raw, shelled flaxseeds.
How much flaxseeds for your protein?
The amounts below are worked out from IFCT's figure of 18.6 g per 100 g. To see how flaxseeds fits into a whole day, add it in the day builder.
| To get | Eat about | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g of protein | 54 g (raw weight) | 240 kcal |
| 20 g of protein | 108 g (raw weight) | 480 kcal |
| 30 g of protein | 162 g (raw weight) | 719 kcal |
How flaxseeds compares
Flaxseeds has more protein per 100 g than 69% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Here it is beside the other nuts and seeds we cover:
| Nuts and seeds | Protein / 100 g | kcal | From protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peanuts | 23.7 g | 520 | 18% |
| Sunflower seeds | 23.5 g | 586 | 16% |
| Halim seeds | 23.4 g | 445 | 21% |
| Pistachios | 23.4 g | 539 | 18% |
| Sesame seeds | 21.7 g | 520 | 17% |
| Cashews | 18.8 g | 583 | 13% |
| Flaxseeds | 18.6 g | 444 | 17% |
| Almonds | 18.4 g | 609 | 12% |
| Walnuts | 14.9 g | 671 | 9% |
| Dry coconut | 7.3 g | 624 | 5% |
Other vegetarian foods with similar protein: dried peas (20.4 g), rajma (19.9 g), moth beans (19.8 g), paneer (18.9 g), kala chana (18.8 g). For more protein per 100 g, try soybean (37.8 g), masoor dal (24.4 g), moong dal (23.9 g). See every food on one protein chart.
Protein quality
Nuts and seeds add useful protein, but most of their calories come from fat. Per calorie they give less protein than dal, paneer or eggs, so they work best as an addition rather than the main source.
Flaxseeds in Indian languages
Names as listed in IFCT 2017, which records what the food is called in each region it was sampled from.1
- Bengali
- Tishi
- Gujarati
- Adsi
- Hindi
- Alsi
- Kannada
- Agasi
- Malayalam
- Cheruchana vithu
- Marathi
- Jawas
- Odia
- Pesi
- Punjabi
- Alsi
- Tamil
- Ali vidai
- Telugu
- Avise ginzalu
- Urdu
- Alsi
Common questions
How much protein is in 100 g of flaxseeds?
18.6 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR-NIN. That's for raw flaxseeds, per 100 g of the edible part. 100 g also gives 444 kcal.
How much flaxseeds gives 20 g of protein?
About 108 g (raw weight). That's roughly 40% of the 50 g a day ICMR-NIN suggests for a 60 kg adult.
Is flaxseeds a good source of protein?
17% of its calories come from protein, and it has more protein per 100 g than 69% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Nuts and seeds add useful protein, but most of their calories come from fat.
References
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. nin.res.in. Read through the open-data copy by Subhajit Sahu (ifct2017, MIT licence).
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements. 2020. nin.res.in