Crab Meat vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Crab Meat 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
crab meat
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in crab meat and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and crab meat are high in potassium and protein.
- Chicken breast has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, crab meat contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
- Crab meat is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Crab Meat (Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned) 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
Chicken breast is high in calories and crab meat has 50% less calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and crab meat has 83 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, crab meat is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Crab meat has a macronutrient ratio of 92:0:9 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Crab Meat | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 92% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 9% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and crab meat are high in protein. Chicken breast has 73% more protein than crab meat - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and crab meat has 17.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast and crab meat contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both crab meat and chicken breast are low in trans fat - crab meat has 0.01g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Chicken breast and crab meat contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and crab meat has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Crab meat has more Vitamin C than chicken breast - crab meat has 3.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chicken breast and crab meat contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and crab meat has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than crab meat - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and crab meat does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Crab meat has 581% more Vitamin E than chicken breast - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and crab meat has 1.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and crab meat contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, crab meat contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both crab meat and chicken breast contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Crab Meat | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.093 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 2.747 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.997 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.156 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 51 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.33 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Crab meat is an excellent source of calcium and it has 507% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and crab meat has 91mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken breast has 108% more iron than crab meat - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and crab meat are high in potassium. Chicken breast is very similar to chicken breast for potassium - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and crab meat has 259mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than crab meat per 100 grams, however, crab meat contains more dha and epa than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both crab meat and chicken breast contain small amounts of DPA.
| Crab Meat | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | 0.067 G | 0.02 G |
| EPA | 0.101 G | 0.01 G |
| DPA | 0.009 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.186 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than crab meat per 100 grams.
| Crab Meat | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.037 G | 0.06 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.02 G | 0.59 G |
| Total | 0.057 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: Crab Meat (Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Crab Meat 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 % |
|
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 crab meat contain more calories in 100 grams?Chicken breast is high in calories and crab meat has 50% less calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and crab meat has 83 calories.
Is chicken breast or crab meat better for protein?
Both chicken breast and crab meat are high in protein. Chicken breast has 70% more protein than crab meat - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and crab meat has 17.9g of protein.
Does chicken breast or crab meat contain more calcium?
Crab meat is a rich source of calcium and it has 510% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and crab meat has 91mg of calcium.
Does chicken breast or crab meat contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and crab meat are high in potassium. Chicken breast is very similar to chicken breast for potassium - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and crab meat has 259mg of potassium.