Canned Tuna vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Cooked Chicken Breast
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 breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Canned tuna has 51% less cholesterol than chicken breast.
- Chicken breast has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in calories. Chicken breast has 29% more calories than canned tuna - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is similar to chicken breast for protein, carbs and fat. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 22% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in protein. Chicken breast has 31% more protein than canned tuna - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Canned tuna has 51% less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than canned tuna - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and chicken breast contain significant amounts of folate.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken breast and canned tuna contain similar amounts of iron - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in potassium. Chicken breast has a little more potassium (8%) than canned tuna by weight - chicken breast has 256mg 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 alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and EPA than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both canned tuna and chicken breast contain significant amounts of DPA.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | 0.02 G |
| EPA | 0.233 G | 0.01 G |
| DPA | 0.018 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.051 G | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.106 G | 0.65 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 Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Canned Tuna g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken Breast g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does chicken breast or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than canned tuna - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is chicken breast or canned tuna better for protein?
Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than canned tuna - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does chicken breast or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and canned tuna are high in potassium. Chicken breast has a little more potassium ( 10%) than canned tuna by weight - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.