Parmesan Cheese vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Parmesan 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 parmesan cheese versus cooked chicken (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in parmesan cheese and chicken:

  • Both parmesan cheese and chicken are high in calories and protein.
  • Chicken has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, parmesan cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Chicken is an excellent source of potassium.
  • Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of parmesan cheese and chicken is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Parmesan Cheese src
Image of Chicken src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both parmesan cheese and chicken are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 107% more calories than chicken - parmesan cheese has 392 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, parmesan cheese is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Parmesan cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 38:3:59 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Parmesan Cheese Chicken
Protein 38% 49%
Carbohydrates 3% ~
Fat 59% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both parmesan cheese and chicken are low in carbohydrates - parmesan cheese has 3.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Parmesan cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both parmesan cheese and chicken are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 54% more protein than chicken - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat and chicken has 79% less saturated fat than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and parmesan cheese are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and parmesan cheese does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Parmesan cheese has 36% less cholesterol than chicken - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken has 107mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than chicken - parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin D than chicken - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Parmesan cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Parmesan cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - parmesan cheese has 1.7ug 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, however, parmesan cheese contains more Vitamin B12. Both parmesan cheese and chicken contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.

Parmesan Cheese Chicken
Thiamin 0.039 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.332 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 0.271 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.453 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.091 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 7 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 1.2 UG 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 147 times more calcium than chicken - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Parmesan cheese and chicken contain similar amounts of iron - parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 636% more potassium than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, parmesan cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.

Parmesan Cheese Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.297 G 0.1 G
DHA ~ 0.031 G
EPA ~ 0.008 G
DPA ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.297 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than parmesan cheese per 100 grams.

Parmesan Cheese Chicken
linoleic acid 0.272 G 1.818 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
Total 0.272 G 1.838 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Parmesan Cheese or Chicken .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

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FAQ

Does parmesan cheese or chicken contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both parmesan cheese and chicken are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has 110% more calories than chicken - parmesan cheese has 392 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.

Is parmesan cheese or chicken better for protein?
Both parmesan cheese and chicken are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 50% more protein than chicken - parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.

Does parmesan cheese or chicken contain more calcium?
Parmesan cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 147 times more calcium than chicken - parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.

Does parmesan cheese or chicken contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 640% more potassium than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.