Pasta vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and chicken:
- Both pasta and chicken are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has 10.2 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Pasta has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Pasta has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and chicken are high in calories. Pasta has 96% more calories than chicken - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 51% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chicken has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and chicken are high in protein. Chicken has 79% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta has 10.2 times less saturated fat than chicken - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and pasta are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Pasta has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Pasta and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both pasta and chicken contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Pasta | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 163% more calcium than chicken - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 255% more iron than chicken - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 204% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg 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 pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.54 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.
Pasta 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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 % |
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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 pasta or chicken contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and chicken are high in calories. Pasta has 100% more calories than chicken - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is pasta or chicken better for protein?
Both pasta and chicken are high in protein. Chicken has 80% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does pasta or chicken have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and chicken has no carbs..
Does pasta or chicken contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 260% more iron than chicken - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
Does pasta or chicken contain more potassium?
Both pasta and chicken are high in potassium. Chicken has 200% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.