Ricotta Cheese vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Ricotta Cheese and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
ricotta cheese
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in ricotta cheese and chicken:
- Both ricotta cheese and chicken are high in calories and potassium.
- Chicken has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chicken is an excellent source of protein.
- Ricotta cheese has 54% less cholesterol than chicken.
- Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A.
- Ricotta cheese is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both ricotta cheese and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 26% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Ricotta Cheese | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 19% | ~ |
| Fat | 61% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken has less carbohydrates than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Ricotta cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken is an excellent source of protein and it has 209% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and chicken has 52% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and chicken are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken has 0.09g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Ricotta cheese has 54% less cholesterol than chicken - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken has 107mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Ricotta cheese is a great source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than chicken - ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese has more Vitamin D than chicken - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Ricotta cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Ricotta cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both ricotta cheese and chicken contain significant amounts of riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Ricotta Cheese | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.013 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.298 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 0.137 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.461 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.097 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.85 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Ricotta cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 24 times more calcium than chicken - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken has 615% more iron than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Both ricotta cheese and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 209% more potassium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and DPA than ricotta cheese per 100 grams. Both ricotta cheese and chicken contain small amounts of EPA.
| Ricotta Cheese | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | 0.031 G |
| EPA | 0.004 G | 0.008 G |
| DPA | 0.006 G | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.054 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Ricotta Cheese | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.356 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 0.358 G | 1.838 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: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 ricotta cheese or chicken contain more calories in 100 grams?Both ricotta cheese and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 30% more calories than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 150 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is ricotta cheese or chicken better for protein?
Chicken is a fantastic source of protein and it has 210% more protein than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does ricotta cheese or chicken contain more calcium?
Ricotta cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 24 times more calcium than chicken - ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
Does ricotta cheese or chicken contain more potassium?
Both ricotta cheese and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 210% more potassium than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.