Chicken Breast vs. Ham
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Ham
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
chicken breast
versus
ham
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chicken breast and ham:
- Both chicken breast and ham are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Ham has more thiamin and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Ham (Ham, minced) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken breast and ham are high in calories. Ham has 59% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and ham has 263 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, much lighter in fat and similar to ham for carbs. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for ham, 25:3:72 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chicken Breast | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 79% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 3% |
| Fat | 21% | 72% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both ham and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - ham has 1.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and ham are high in protein. Chicken breast has 91% more protein than ham - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and ham has 16.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ham is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 86% less saturated fat than ham - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and ham has 7.2g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Chicken breast and ham contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and ham has 70mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than ham - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Ham has 420% more Vitamin D than chicken breast - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and ham has 26iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and ham has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Ham has more thiamin and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both chicken breast and ham contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Chicken Breast | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.07 MG | 0.712 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Niacin | 13.712 MG | 4.162 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.965 MG | 0.18 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 MG | 0.26 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 1 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.34 UG | 0.95 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast and ham contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and ham has 10mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken breast and ham contain similar amounts of iron - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and ham has 0.79mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and ham are high in potassium. Ham has 21% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, ham has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than ham per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.03 G | 0.31 G |
| DHA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.07 G | 0.31 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ham has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.59 G | 2.16 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.06 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.65 G | 2.16 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: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Ham (Ham, minced) .
Cooked Chicken Breast g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ham 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 ham contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and ham are high in calories. Ham has 60% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and ham has 263 calories.
Is chicken breast or ham better for protein?
Both chicken breast and ham are high in protein. Chicken breast has 90% more protein than ham - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and ham has 16.3g of protein.
Does chicken breast or ham contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and ham are high in potassium. Ham has 20% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.