Wheat Germ vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Germ 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
wheat germ
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat germ and chicken breast:
- Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, chicken breast contains more Vitamin B12.
- Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) 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 wheat germ and chicken breast are high in calories. Wheat germ has 118% more calories than chicken breast - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat germ is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to chicken breast for fat. Wheat germ has a macronutrient ratio of 24:54:23 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Germ | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 54% | ~ |
| Fat | 23% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 34% more protein than wheat germ - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Wheat germ and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Wheat germ has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than wheat germ - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than wheat germ - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, chicken breast contains more Vitamin B12. Both wheat germ and chicken breast contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Wheat Germ | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.882 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.499 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 6.813 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.257 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 281 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat germ has 160% more calcium than chicken breast - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 502% more iron than chicken breast - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 248% more potassium than chicken breast - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than wheat germ per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.723 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.723 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 5.287 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 5.287 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: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Wheat Germ 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 wheat germ or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in calories. Wheat germ has 120% more calories than chicken breast - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is wheat germ or chicken breast better for protein?
Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than wheat germ - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does wheat germ or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does wheat germ or chicken breast contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 500% more iron than chicken breast - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and chicken breast are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 250% more potassium than chicken breast - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.