Protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, calories and food composition explained with practical context.
Chia provides about 34 g of fiber per 100 g and flax about 27 g, well ahead of sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and hulled hemp. In a 20 g portion, chia contributes roughly 6.8 g of fiber and flax about 5.4 g, so this ranking has a genuinely large practical gap.
There is no single food that is always the most filling. Foods that combine protein, fiber, water and volume with moderate energy density tend to work well: legumes, boiled potatoes, eggs, fish, high-protein yogurt, oats, whole fruit and vegetables are strong examples. Preparation can change the result dramatically.
Fresh fruits highest in fiber include passion fruit, avocado, raspberries, guava, and blackberries. Per 100 g they can provide roughly 5–10 g fiber, compared with about 2–3 g in apples, oranges, or bananas. Serving size changes the practical ranking: 1 cup of raspberries provides about 8 g fiber, while 100 g of passion-fruit pulp takes several fruits.
Tempeh is usually more protein-dense than tofu, at roughly 19–20 grams per 100 grams versus about 12–17 grams in firm tofu. Much of the difference comes from retaining the whole soybean and containing less water. Tempeh also provides more fiber, while tofu is usually lower in calories and can contain far more calcium when set with calcium salts.
Cooked edamame is usually higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate than chickpeas: about 12 grams of protein and 121 calories per 100 grams versus roughly 9 grams and 164 calories. Chickpeas generally provide more fiber—around 7–8 grams versus about 5—and much more starch. They are not two versions of the same legume but distinct nutrition profiles.
Cooked quinoa provides more protein and fiber than white rice at similar calories: about 4.4 grams of protein and 2.8 grams of fiber per 100 grams versus roughly 2.7 grams and 0.4 gram. It also has fewer carbs, about 21 grams versus 28. The advantage is real, but a serving of quinoa still functions more like a grain base than a main protein source.
Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are both high-protein dairy foods and are quite close: each often provides around 10–12 grams of protein per 100 grams. The bigger difference is sodium, with cottage cheese often several times higher. Calories depend on fat level, and typical serving size can change total protein more than the small per-100-gram gap.
Egg white is a very efficient way to add protein: one large white provides about 3.6 grams for just 17 calories. A whole large egg provides roughly 6.3 grams and 70–75 calories because it includes the yolk. That yolk carries almost all the fat, but also much of the choline, vitamins A, D and B12, carotenoids and other micronutrients.
Cooked chicken breast is much more protein-dense, at about 31 grams per 100 grams versus roughly 15–18 grams in firm tofu. Tofu, however, provides unsaturated fat, some fiber and can be a substantial calcium source when made with calcium sulfate. They can fill the same place on a plate without being gram-for-gram equivalents.
Cooked white and brown rice are much closer in calories, carbohydrate and protein than they are often made to sound. The important difference is structural: brown rice keeps the bran and germ, so it provides roughly 1.5–2 grams of fiber per 100 grams versus less than 1 gram in white rice and usually substantially more magnesium and other micronutrients.
At the same cooked weight, potato usually provides fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice: roughly 90–95 calories and 21 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams versus about 130 calories and 28 grams. Water explains most of the difference. In a real meal, however, a large potato and a smaller rice serving can end up with almost the same calories.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are much closer in calories and carbohydrate than their reputations suggest: both are around 90 calories and 20–21 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams cooked. The interesting difference is micronutrients: orange sweet potato stands out for beta-carotene, while potato often provides more potassium and vitamin C.