Chicken meat vs. Salmon — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Salmon and chicken are both popular choices for meat consumption, and each has its own unique characteristics, but which is healthier and which is nutritionally superior? In this article, we will try to answer some of these questions.

Nutrition

The nutritional information used in our article is presented for 100g servings of roasted chicken broilers or fryers, with meat and skin, and farmed Atlantic salmon, cooked with dry heat.

The average serving size per person is one cup of chopped or diced chicken, equal to around 140g, and 3 ounces of salmon, equal to 85g. However, half a filet of salmon weighs around 178g.

Macronutrients and Calories

While these two foods are similar, chicken, being composed of 59% water and 41% nutrients, is slightly denser in nutrients. Salmon consists of 65% water and 35% nutrients.

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Chicken meat

2

Protein: 27.3 g

Fats: 13.6 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 59.45 g

Other: 0 g

Salmon

2

Protein: 22.1 g

Fats: 12.35 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 64.75 g

Other: 0.8 g

Contains more ProteinProtein

+23.5%

~equal in Fats ~12.35g

~equal in Carbs ~0g

~equal in Water ~64.75g

~equal in Other ~0.8g

Calories

Both salmon and chicken are high in calories; however, chicken has slightly more calories. Chicken provides 239 calories per 100g serving, while this number for salmon is 206.

Protein

Chicken is also richer in protein, providing 27.3g per 100g serving. At the same time, salmon is also a great source of protein, containing 22.1g per 100g serving.

Both chicken and salmon contain high levels of all essential amino acids. Chicken meat is richer in all of them.

Fats

Like with other macronutrients, chicken is also higher in fats. A 100g serving of chicken and salmon provides 13.6g and 12.4g of fats, respectively.

However, salmon has a more favorable fat composition, as it contains only 22% saturated fats and 78% unsaturated fats. Salmon’s predominant fat type is polyunsaturated fat. Chicken fat, on the other hand, consists of 31% saturated and 69% unsaturated fats, with the primary fat type being monounsaturated fats.  

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Chicken meat

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.79 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 5.34 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.97 g

Salmon

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 2.397 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 4.181 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.553 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat

+27.7%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-36.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+53.3%

Salmon is also unsurprisingly lower in cholesterol by 25mg per every 100g serving.

Carbohydrates

Like other types of meat, unprocessed salmon and chicken do not contain notable amounts of carbohydrates.

Vitamins

Salmon is the ultimate winner in the vitamin category. Salmon provides nine times more vitamin B12, seven times more vitamin B9 or folate, five times more vitamin B1, and four times more vitamin E. It is also a better source of vitamins A, D, and C and vitamins B5 and B6.

At the same time, chicken contains 24 times more vitamin K and, overall, more vitamin B2.

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.

Chicken meat

2

Salmon

10

Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+24.4%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+2300%

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+42.9%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+322.2%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+439.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+43.2%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+61.8%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+833.3%
Contains more FolateFolate	+580%
Contains more CholineCholine	+37.3%

~equal in Vitamin B3 ~8.045mg

Minerals

Salmon and chicken are both excellent sources of minerals.

Chicken is around five times richer in zinc, four times richer in iron, and overall higher in calcium.

Salmon, however, is a better potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium source. Salmon is also lower in sodium.

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.

Chicken meat

4

Salmon

5

Contains more IronIron	+270.6%
Contains more CopperCopper	+34.7%
Contains more ZincZinc	+351.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+25%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+30.4%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+72.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+38.5%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-25.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+73.2%

~equal in Calcium ~15mg

Weight Loss & Diets

Salmon and chicken meat are good options for high protein, keto, and other low-carb diets. Conversely, these are not the best choices of food for low-fat and low-calorie diets.

That being said, despite the high-calorie content, lean or fatty fish and seafood, in general, can help people lose weight when included in a healthy, energy-restricted diet (3). Another study discovered that giving overweight participants hydrolysate - a protein supplement found in salmon - had a beneficial impact on their body mass index (4).

Similarly, research shows that together with a diet high in vegetables, the intake of poultry meat, such as chicken, has been linked to a lower risk of gaining excess fat and obesity (5).

Chicken and salmon are obviously not allowed on vegetarian and vegan diets. However, unlike chicken, salmon can be a good source of nutrients on a pescetarian diet. 

Health Impact

Cardiovascular Health

When added to a weight-loss regimen, fish products high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, can significantly lower cardiovascular risk in obese people with high blood pressure (6).

Omega-3 fatty acids have been discovered to beneficially impact triglyceride levels, blood pressure, hemostasis, arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, vasodilation, and thrombosis overall. They can also be helpful in the prevention and treatment of heart disease by enhancing the function of the heart (7).

Substituting chicken for red meat can decrease cardiovascular disease risk (8). However, while the intake of chicken may not lead to increased cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, unlike red meat, it has not yet been conclusively proven to improve cardiovascular risk (9).  

Overall,  there is evidence that consuming fish, such as salmon, instead of poultry, such as chicken, can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (10).

Diabetes

Chicken and salmon both have low glycemic and insulin index values, demonstrating that the consumption of these foods does not increase blood glucose or insulin levels.

Several studies have proven a connection between saturated fat consumption from animal sources, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia. However, no statistically significant link has been found between increased weekly consumption of chicken and the onset of the disease, according to data on poultry consumption (11).

Salmon, on the other hand, has been researched to have various beneficial effects on diabetes mellitus. 

Oligopeptide proteins from salmon skin dramatically lowered fasting blood glucose, demonstrating antidiabetic properties (12). It has also been discovered that salmon skin gelatin can increase insulin secretion and promote glycemic management (13). Consuming lean fish overall may help prevent type 2 diabetes overall, according to research (14).

Speaking of factors that influence the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, the cooking process may be just as important as the product itself. When compared to cooking at moderate temperatures, such as boiling, steaming, and stir-frying, cooking meat at high temperatures, such as grilling and barbecuing, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (15). 

Author name: Victoria Mazmanyan

Education: General Medicine at YSMU

Last updated: February 24, 2023

Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel