Tempeh vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Tempeh 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
tempeh
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tempeh and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken breast has 60% less saturated fat than tempeh.
- Tempeh has more riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Tempeh is a great source of iron.
- Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tempeh (Tempeh) 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 tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 16% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and tempeh has 192 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tempeh is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Tempeh has a macronutrient ratio of 39:15:47 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tempeh | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 15% | ~ |
| Fat | 47% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken breast has less carbohydrates than tempeh - tempeh has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken breast has 53% more protein than tempeh - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast has 60% less saturated fat than tempeh - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.5g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Tempeh has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than tempeh - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than tempeh - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Tempeh has more riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both tempeh and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Tempeh | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.358 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 2.64 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.278 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.215 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 24 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.08 UG | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium and it has 640% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
iron
Tempeh is a great source of iron and it has 160% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 61% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tempeh has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than tempeh per 100 grams.
| Tempeh | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.248 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.248 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tempeh has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.
| Tempeh | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 4.052 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 4.052 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: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Tempeh 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 % |
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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 tempeh contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 20% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and tempeh has 192 calories.
Is chicken breast or tempeh better for protein?
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken breast has 50% more protein than tempeh - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Does chicken breast or tempeh contain more calcium?
Tempeh is a rich source of calcium and it has 640% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
Does chicken breast or tempeh contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 60% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.