Cheese vs. Chicken Leg

Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Chicken Leg


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cheese versus chicken leg (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and chicken leg:

  • Both cheese and chicken leg are high in calories and protein.
  • Cheese has more beta-carotene than chicken leg, however, chicken leg contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
  • Chicken leg has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Chicken leg is a great source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese and chicken leg is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cheese and chicken leg are high in calories. Cheese has 79% more calories than chicken leg - cheese has 384 calories per 100 grams and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Cheese Chicken Leg
Protein 25% 31%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 75% 68%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cheese and chicken leg are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.17g of carbohydrates.

Protein

protein

Both cheese and chicken leg are high in protein. Cheese has 44% more protein than chicken leg - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and chicken leg has 73% less saturated fat than cheese - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 4.4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken leg and cheese are low in trans fat - chicken leg has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Cheese and chicken leg contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken leg has 93mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chicken leg and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chicken leg has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 521% more Vitamin A than chicken leg - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken leg has 28ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheese has 950% more Vitamin D than chicken leg - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Cheese and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cheese and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chicken leg has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.

Cheese Chicken Leg
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.073 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 4.733 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG 0.994 MG
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.318 MG
Folate 13 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG 0.56 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 72 times more calcium than chicken leg - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.

iron

Cheese and chicken leg contain similar amounts of iron - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken leg is a great source of potassium and it has 139% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, cheese has more beta-carotene than chicken leg per 100 grams, however, chicken leg contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese per 100 grams.

Cheese Chicken Leg
beta-carotene 56 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 91 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken leg per 100 grams, however, chicken leg contains more dpa than cheese per 100 grams.

Cheese Chicken Leg
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.155 G
DHA ~ 0.01 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
DPA ~ 0.012 G
Total 0.332 G 0.181 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken leg has more linoleic acid than cheese per 100 grams.

Cheese Chicken Leg
linoleic acid 0.532 G 2.987 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.532 G 3.003 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cheese or Chicken Leg .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) .

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does cheese or chicken leg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cheese and chicken leg are high in calories. Cheese has 80% more calories than chicken leg - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Is cheese or chicken leg better for protein?
Both cheese and chicken leg are high in protein. Cheese has 40% more protein than chicken leg - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Does cheese or chicken leg contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 72 times more calcium than chicken leg - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.