Parmesan Cheese vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Parmesan Cheese 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
parmesan cheese
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in parmesan cheese and chicken breast:
- Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast are high in calories and protein.
- Chicken breast is a great source of potassium.
- Parmesan cheese has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) 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 parmesan cheese and chicken breast are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 138% more calories than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 392 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, parmesan cheese is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Parmesan cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 38:3:59 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Parmesan Cheese | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | ~ |
| Fat | 59% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - parmesan cheese has 3.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 15% more protein than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 93% less saturated fat than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of cholesterol - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 33 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Parmesan cheese has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.
| Parmesan Cheese | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.332 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 0.271 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.453 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.2 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Parmesan cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of iron - parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Chicken breast is a great source of potassium and it has 178% more potassium than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, parmesan cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.
| Parmesan Cheese | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.297 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.297 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.
| Parmesan Cheese | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.272 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.272 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: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Parmesan Cheese 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 % |
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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 parmesan cheese or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 140% more calories than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 392 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is parmesan cheese or chicken breast better for protein?
Both parmesan cheese and chicken breast are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 20% more protein than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does parmesan cheese or chicken breast contain more calcium?
Parmesan cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 77 times more calcium than chicken breast - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.