Tofu vs. Chicken — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Calories

Chicken meat is considered to be a high-calorie food. Chicken meat provides almost 1.7 times more calories compared to firm tofu.

A 100g serving of roasted chicken meat provides 239 calories, whereas raw, firm tofu provides only 144.

A 100g serving of regular tofu provides 76 calories, and fried tofu provides 270 calories (3, 4).

Depending on the body part of chicken meat, calorie content varies. The highest level of calories is provided by the back (300 calories), then wings (254 calories), breast (197 calories), and the least amount of calories is provided by chicken legs (184 calories) (5, 6, 7, 8).

Chicken meat, without skin, provides only 190 calories (9).

Protein

Both tofu and chicken meat are great sources of protein. However, chicken meat contains more protein.

Chicken meat contains 10g more protein: 100g of chicken meat contains 27.3g of protein, whereas tofu contains 17.3g.

Depending on the cut, the amount of chicken protein can vary. The protein amounts of chicken meat from highest to lowest are in this order: breast, back, legs, and wings.

Tofu, being made from soybean, contains high levels of glycinin and β-Conglycinin. Soybeans also contain two protease or trypsin inhibitor classes, 90% of which are destroyed during the moist heat treatment (10).

Fats

Chicken meat contains 1.5 times more fats than firm tofu. Most fats in chicken meat are monounsaturated and saturated, whereas, in tofu, they are polyunsaturated. 

A 100g of chicken meat contains 13.6g of fats, whereas chicken meat without skin contains only 7.41g of fats (9). In contrast, firm tofu contains 8.72g of fats, and regular tofu contains only 4.78g (3). Fried tofu contains 20.2g of fats (4).

The predominant fatty acids in tofu are polyunsaturated (4.9g), then monounsaturated (1.9g), and saturated (1.26g) fatty acids. In contrast, the predominant fats in chicken meat are monounsaturated (5.34g) and saturated (3.8g) fatty acids, and only then polyunsaturated (3g) fatty acids.

The 100g serving of chicken meat contains 88 mg of cholesterol, whereas tofu is absent in cholesterol.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Tofu

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 1.261 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 1.925 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.921 g

Chicken meat

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 3.79 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 5.34 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.97 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-66.7%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+65.7%

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat

+177.4%

Carbohydrates

Chicken meat contains no carbohydrates. Firm tofu is not particularly rich in carbs either.

A 100g serving of firm tofu contains 2.3g of dietary fiber and 0.48g of net carbs, whereas the same amount of regular tofu contains only 0.3g of dietary fiber.

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

Soy proteins in tofu lead to a decrease in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein or “bad” fats, triglyceride levels, and an increase in high-density lipoprotein or “good” fats levels. Soy products may show beneficial effects on endothelial (inner layer of blood vessels) dysfunction as well. Additionally, tofu may help reduce cardiovascular risk by slowing down the progression of atherosclerosis in its early stages. Nonetheless, further studies are needed on this topic (14, 15, 16).

As part of the DASH diet, chicken meat has a modulatory effect on blood pressure (17, 18).

One study demonstrates that chicken consumption may be associated with a lower risk of developing varicose veins (19).

In summary, both tofu and chicken can be part of a heart-healthy diet when consumed as part of a balanced eating pattern. Tofu has a lower saturated fat and cholesterol content and potential benefits from plant compounds and fiber. Chicken is also a good source of protein and can be part of a heart-healthy diet when consumed in lean cuts and prepared in a healthy manner. Including a variety of protein sources can help promote overall heart health and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Diabetes

Dietary intake of tofu and other soy products is inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting blood glucose (20, 21).

Several studies claim that dietary intake of soy protein and isoflavones reduces the risk of diabetes only in women (22, 23).

Soy isoflavones have obesity-preventing and blood glucose-lowering effects (24).

Red meat is associated with increased blood glucose and insulin responses compared to chicken meat (25).

Replacement of red meat with chicken meat reduces urinary albumin excretion and serum cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria (26).

Digestive Health & Weight Loss

Tofu, as a soy product, may have a greater impact on the digestive system than chicken meat.

Studies have demonstrated that soy products may lead to beneficial changes in gut microbiota by increasing beneficial bacteria and reducing pathogenic bacteria populations. The altered gut microbiota and anti-inflammatory components of soy milk may beneficially affect the host’s health overall, systemic inflammation, and symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. (27, 28).

Several studies have suggested that soy proteins and isoflavones may be effectively included in an energy-restricted, high-protein diet for improving body weight and metabolic syndrome features (24, 29, 30). Nonetheless, another study has claimed that the changes are minimal (31).

One 10-week study with 24 volunteers consuming either selenium-enriched or unenriched chicken meat has demonstrated a reduction in body weight, accompanying fat mass loss in both groups (32).

Musculoskeletal Health

Osteoporosis affects over 10% of the population and is a major risk factor for postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis leads to a loss of bone mass, and some dairy products are recommended to help maintain healthy bones: tofu, calcium-fortified orange juice, and plant-based beverages (33).

Exercise profoundly affects muscle growth when a positive muscle protein balance remains, which means muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown. Chicken meat and soy protein are rich in dietary proteins and lead to muscle synthesis and growth. However, soy proteins result in a lower muscle protein synthetic response (34, 35).

Dietary protein intake is also important for preventing or slowing down sarcopenia (skeletal muscle mass and function loss) (36).

Cancer

Consumption of soy products is associated with a lower risk of hormone-dependent breast and prostate cancer risks (37, 38, 39, 40).

Tofu intake is associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women (41).

Tofu intake is associated with a reduced risk of stomach cancer. Soy products may have favorable effects on patient survival of stomach and colorectal cancers; however, the evidence is inconsistent, and further research is needed (42, 43, 44).

Chicken meat is either neutral or negatively associated with cancer risks.

Subjects consuming large amounts of red or processed meat have an increased risk of stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung, and bladder cancers, but not the ones consuming white or poultry meat (45, 46).

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

Among US adults, a higher intake of processed and unprocessed red meat and poultry, but not fish, is associated with a small increase in cardiovascular disease risk (47).

Evidence is not provided for choosing white meat over red meat to reduce cardiovascular disease risks; however, eating fish reduces the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes (48, 49).

Diabetes

Open-flame and high-temperature cooking (grilling, barbequing) for both chicken and red meat are associated with an increased risk of diabetes (50). Healthier cooking methods are boiling, stir-frying, and steaming.

Cancer

Poultry intake is positively associated with the risk for malignant melanoma, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Nevertheless, further investigation is required (51).

Salmonellosis

Poultry meat and eggs are sources of Salmonella infection; therefore, it is important to reduce the contamination of poultry and improve food safety (52, 53).