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Chicken breast vs. Beef — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between chicken breast and beef

  • Chicken breast has more vitamin B3 and vitamin B5; however, beef is richer in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and vitamin B2.
  • Beef covers your daily vitamin B12 needs 160% more than chicken breast.
  • Beef has 3 times less vitamin B3 than chicken breast. Chicken breast has 14.782mg of vitamin B3, while beef has 5.76mg.
  • Chicken breast contains less saturated fat.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, fried and Beef, loin, tenderloin roast, separable lean only, boneless, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted.

Infographic

Chicken breast vs Beef infographic
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Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 22% 4.8% 24% 43% 18% 29% 105% 10% 2.7% 143%
Beef
5
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 10% 3.9% 31% 114% 32% 101% 111% 7% 1.2% 139%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +121.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +23.1%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +133.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +27.5%
Contains more IronIron +166.7%
Contains more CopperCopper +79.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +242.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -31.6%
~equal in Phosphorus ~259mg
~equal in Selenium ~25.4µg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 2.3% 8.4% 1.5% 20% 29% 277% 62% 148% 46% 6% 3% 52%
Beef
3
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0.67% 5% 1.5% 19% 92% 108% 29% 154% 526% 4% 5.3% 41%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +250%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +68%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +156.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +116.2%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +50%
Contains more CholineCholine +26.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +220%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +1037.8%
Contains more FolateFolate +75%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0.1µg
~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0.074mg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.669mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
33% 5% 60%
Protein: 33.44 g
Fats: 4.71 g
Carbs: 0.51 g
Water: 60.21 g
Other: 1.13 g
Beef
2
28% 7% 66%
Protein: 27.55 g
Fats: 6.54 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 65.71 g
Other: 0.2 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +21.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +∞%
Contains more OtherOther +465%
Contains more FatsFats +38.9%
~equal in Water ~65.71g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
32% 42% 26%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 1.29 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 1.72 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.07 g
Beef
1
44% 47% 9%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.595 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.734 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.532 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -50.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +101.1%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +59%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Chicken breast Beef
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Sugar Equal
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Chicken breast Beef DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 0.37µg 4.21µg 160%
Vitamin B3 14.782mg 5.76mg 56%
Zinc 1.08mg 3.7mg 24%
Iron 1.14mg 3.04mg 24%
Vitamin B2 0.125mg 0.4mg 21%
Protein 33.44g 27.55g 12%
Vitamin B5 1.04mg 0.481mg 11%
Saturated fat 1.29g 2.595g 6%
Copper 0.054mg 0.097mg 5%
Magnesium 31mg 14mg 4%
Choline 95.9mg 75.6mg 4%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.07g 0.532g 4%
Monounsaturated fat 1.72g 2.734g 3%
Fats 4.71g 6.54g 3%
Cholesterol 91mg 85mg 2%
Potassium 276mg 352mg 2%
Phosphorus 246mg 259mg 2%
Vitamin B6 0.64mg 0.669mg 2%
Folate 4µg 7µg 1%
Vitamin K 2.4µg 1.6µg 1%
Calories 187kcal 169kcal 1%
Selenium 26.2µg 25.4µg 1%
Manganese 0.021mg 0.009mg 1%
Vitamin E 0.42mg 0.25mg 1%
Vitamin A 7µg 2µg 1%
Sodium 79mg 54mg 1%
Carbs 0.51g 0g 0%
Net carbs 0.51g 0g N/A
Vitamin D 5IU 3IU 0%
Calcium 16mg 13mg 0%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 0.1µg 0%
Vitamin B1 0.079mg 0.074mg 0%
Trans fat 0.375g N/A
Tryptophan 0.39mg 0.359mg 0%
Threonine 1.412mg 1.534mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.765mg 1.52mg 0%
Leucine 2.509mg 2.833mg 0%
Lysine 2.836mg 3.178mg 0%
Methionine 0.925mg 0.871mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.328mg 1.299mg 0%
Valine 1.659mg 1.603mg 0%
Histidine 1.037mg 1.244mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.01g 0.002g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.03g 0.002g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.013g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.02g 0.011g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.017g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.002g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.349g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Chicken breast Beef
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
50%
Chicken breast
76%
Beef
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
40%
Chicken breast
55%
Beef

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Chicken breast
Chicken breast is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 1.305g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Beef
Beef is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 6mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Beef
Beef contains less Sodium (difference - 25mg)
Which food contains less Sugar?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sugar (0 g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (0)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Chicken breast - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171078/nutrients
  2. Beef - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174006/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.