Salmon vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Salmon 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
salmon
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in salmon and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than chicken breast.
- Salmon has more Vitamin B12.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) 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 salmon are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than salmon - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, salmon is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Salmon has a macronutrient ratio of 67:0:33 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Salmon | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 67% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 33% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in protein. Chicken breast has 51% more protein than salmon - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both salmon and chicken breast are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Salmon has 46% less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Salmon has 483% more Vitamin A than chicken breast - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 86 times more Vitamin D than chicken breast - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Salmon has more Vitamin B12. Both salmon and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Salmon | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.08 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.105 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 7.995 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.03 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.611 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.15 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast has 114% more calcium than salmon - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken breast has 174% more iron than salmon - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 43% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more DHA, EPA and DPA than chicken breast per 100 grams. Both salmon and chicken breast contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Salmon | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | 0.333 G | 0.02 G |
| EPA | 0.182 G | 0.01 G |
| DPA | 0.047 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.609 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.014 G | 0.06 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.081 G | 0.59 G |
| Total | 0.095 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: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Salmon 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 salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and salmon are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than salmon - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is chicken breast or salmon better for protein?
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in protein. Chicken breast has 50% more protein than salmon - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does chicken breast or salmon contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 40% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.