Pasta vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Pasta 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
pasta
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and chicken breast:
- Both pasta and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more dha than pasta.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) 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 pasta and chicken breast are high in calories. Pasta has 125% more calories than chicken breast - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chicken breast has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 138% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than pasta - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than pasta - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both pasta and chicken breast contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Pasta | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and chicken breast contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 217% more iron than chicken breast - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and chicken breast are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more DHA than pasta per 100 grams. Both pasta and chicken breast contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pasta | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.54 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Pasta 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 pasta or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and chicken breast are high in calories. Pasta has 130% more calories than chicken breast - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is pasta or chicken breast better for protein?
Both pasta and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 140% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does pasta or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does pasta or chicken breast contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 220% more iron than chicken breast - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
Does pasta or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both pasta and chicken breast are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.