Canned Tuna vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
canned tuna
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and chicken:
- Both chicken and canned tuna are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Canned tuna has 61% less cholesterol than chicken.
- Canned tuna has 75% less saturated fat than chicken.
- Chicken has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more dha and epa than chicken.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken and canned tuna are high in calories. Chicken has 48% more calories than canned tuna - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, much lighter in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 22% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken and canned tuna are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Canned tuna has 75% less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and canned tuna are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Canned tuna has 61% less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than chicken - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken has more Vitamin E than canned tuna - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Chicken and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and chicken contain significant amounts of niacin and folate.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken and canned tuna contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken and canned tuna contain similar amounts of iron - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and canned tuna are high in potassium. Chicken has 186% more potassium than canned tuna - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more DHA and EPA than chicken per 100 grams. Both canned tuna and chicken contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | 0.031 G |
| EPA | 0.233 G | 0.008 G |
| DPA | 0.018 G | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 1.838 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .
Canned Tuna g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does chicken or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and canned tuna are high in calories. Chicken has 50% more calories than canned tuna - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is chicken or canned tuna better for protein?
Both chicken and canned tuna are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does chicken or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both chicken and canned tuna are high in potassium. Chicken has 190% more potassium than canned tuna - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.