Egg Yolk vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk 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 egg yolk versus cooked chicken breast (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and chicken breast:

  • Both chicken breast and egg yolk are high in calories and protein.
  • Chicken breast is a great source of potassium.
  • Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin.
  • Egg yolk is a great source of iron.
  • Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin D and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of egg yolk and chicken breast 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: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Egg Yolk src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken breast and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 95% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:75 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Egg Yolk Chicken Breast
Protein 20% 79%
Carbohydrates 5% ~
Fat 75% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both egg yolk and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - egg yolk has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Egg yolk and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken breast and egg yolk are high in protein. Chicken breast has 96% more protein than egg yolk - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 89% less saturated fat than egg yolk - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and chicken breast has 92% less cholesterol than egg yolk - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and egg yolk has 1085mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 62 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 42 times more Vitamin D than chicken breast - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Egg yolk has 856% more Vitamin E than chicken breast - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken breast and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin. Both egg yolk and chicken breast contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.

Egg Yolk Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.176 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.528 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 0.024 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 2.99 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.35 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 146 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.95 UG 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Egg yolk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 760% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.

iron

Egg yolk is a great source of iron and it has 163% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken breast is a great source of potassium and it has 135% more potassium than egg yolk - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both egg yolk and chicken breast contain significant amounts of EPA.

Egg Yolk Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.103 G 0.03 G
DHA 0.114 G 0.02 G
EPA 0.011 G 0.01 G
DPA ~ 0.01 G
Total 0.228 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.

Egg Yolk Chicken Breast
other omega 6 0.438 G 0.06 G
linoleic acid 3.538 G 0.59 G
Total 3.976 G 0.65 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 Egg Yolk or Chicken Breast .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does chicken breast or egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken breast and egg yolk are high in calories. Egg yolk has 100% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.

Is chicken breast or egg yolk better for protein?
Both chicken breast and egg yolk are high in protein. Chicken breast has 100% more protein than egg yolk - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.

Does chicken breast or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Egg yolk is a rich source of calcium and it has 760% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.