Lamb vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lamb 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
cooked
lamb
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lamb and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and lamb are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Lamb has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin and Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) 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 chicken breast and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 72% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and lamb has 283 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lamb is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Lamb has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:64 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lamb | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 64% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and lamb are high in protein. Chicken breast has 25% more protein than lamb - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lamb is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 88% less saturated fat than lamb - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Chicken breast and lamb contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lamb has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than lamb - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lamb has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, chicken breast contains more niacin and Vitamin B6. Both lamb and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
| Lamb | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.1 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.25 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 6.7 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.66 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.14 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.61 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast and lamb contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and lamb has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Lamb has 72% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and lamb has 1.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 32% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg 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 breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than lamb per 100 grams.
| Lamb | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.26 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.26 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lamb and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lamb | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.07 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.07 G | 0.06 G |
| Total | 1.14 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: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Cooked Lamb 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 chicken breast or lamb contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 70% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and lamb has 283 calories.
Is chicken breast or lamb better for protein?
Both chicken breast and lamb are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than lamb - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Does chicken breast or lamb contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 30% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.