Cheese vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Cheese 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 cheese versus cooked chicken breast (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheese and chicken breast:

  • Both cheese and chicken breast are high in calories and protein.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
  • Chicken breast has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Chicken breast is a great source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese and chicken breast is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheese src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cheese and chicken breast are high in calories. Cheese has 133% more calories than chicken breast - cheese has 384 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheese is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to chicken breast for carbs. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheese Chicken Breast
Protein 25% 79%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 75% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cheese and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both cheese and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 32% more protein than cheese - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 94% less saturated fat than cheese - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 28 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheese has 320% more Vitamin D than chicken breast - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cheese and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chicken breast has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, cheese contains more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.

Cheese Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 13 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 42 times more calcium than chicken breast - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken breast has 76% more iron than cheese - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken breast is a great source of potassium and it has 201% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than cheese per 100 grams.

Cheese Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.03 G
DHA ~ 0.02 G
EPA ~ 0.01 G
DPA ~ 0.01 G
Total 0.332 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cheese and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Cheese Chicken Breast
linoleic acid 0.532 G 0.59 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.06 G
Total 0.532 G 0.65 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cheese or Chicken Breast .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does cheese or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cheese and chicken breast are high in calories. Cheese has 130% more calories than chicken breast - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.

Is cheese or chicken breast better for protein?
Both cheese and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 30% more protein than cheese - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Does cheese or chicken breast contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 42 times more calcium than chicken breast - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.