Lamb vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lamb and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lamb
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lamb and chicken:
- Both chicken and lamb are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, lamb contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and lamb has 283 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lamb is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Lamb has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:64 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lamb | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 64% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken and lamb are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lamb is high in saturated fat and chicken has 62% less saturated fat than lamb - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and lamb are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lamb has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin D
Lamb and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, lamb contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both lamb and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
| Lamb | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.1 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.25 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 6.7 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.66 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.14 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.61 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lamb has 175% more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and lamb has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Lamb has 92% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and lamb has 1.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and lamb are high in potassium. Chicken has 100% more potassium than lamb - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lamb has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than lamb per 100 grams.
| Lamb | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.26 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.26 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lamb and chicken contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lamb | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.07 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 1.07 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.
Cooked Lamb g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 chicken or lamb contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and lamb has 283 calories.
Is chicken or lamb better for protein?
Both chicken and lamb are high in protein. Chicken is very similar to chicken for protein - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Does chicken or lamb contain more potassium?
Both chicken and lamb are high in potassium. Chicken has 100% more potassium than lamb - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.