Tofu vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Tofu and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tofu
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tofu and chicken:
- Both chicken and tofu are high in protein.
- Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, tofu contains more folate.
- Chicken is an excellent source of potassium.
- Tofu has 3.5 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Tofu has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chicken is high in calories and tofu has 60% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tofu is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to chicken for fat. Tofu has a macronutrient ratio of 39:9:52 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tofu | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 9% | ~ |
| Fat | 52% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both tofu and chicken are low in carbohydrates - tofu has 1.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Tofu has more dietary fiber than chicken - tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Tofu and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - tofu has 0.62g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken and tofu are high in protein. Chicken has 188% more protein than tofu - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Tofu has 3.5 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and tofu are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Tofu has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tofu and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Tofu has more Vitamin A than chicken - tofu has 25.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, tofu contains more folate. Both tofu and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Tofu | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.081 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.052 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 0.195 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.068 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.047 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and it has 42 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Tofu is an excellent source of iron and it has 476% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 460% more potassium than tofu - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than tofu per 100 grams.
| Tofu | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.319 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.319 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both tofu and chicken contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Tofu | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 2.38 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 2.38 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.
Tofu g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken 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 or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Chicken is high in calories and tofu has 60% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is chicken or tofu better for protein?
Both chicken and tofu are high in protein. Chicken has 190% more protein than tofu - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does chicken or tofu contain more calcium?
Tofu is a rich source of calcium and it has 42 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does chicken or tofu contain more iron?
Tofu is an abundant source of iron and it has 480% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
Does chicken or tofu contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 460% more potassium than tofu - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.