Pasta vs. Chicken Leg

Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Chicken Leg


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of pasta versus chicken leg (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and chicken leg:

  • Both pasta and chicken leg are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, chicken leg contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
  • Pasta has signficantly less saturated fat than chicken leg.
  • Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of pasta and chicken leg 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both pasta and chicken leg are high in calories. Pasta has 73% more calories than chicken leg - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and chicken leg has 214 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken leg per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for chicken leg, 31:0:69 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Pasta Chicken Leg
Protein 14% 31%
Carbohydrates 82% ~
Fat 4% 69%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken leg has 100% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.17g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken leg - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken leg does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Chicken leg has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken leg does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both pasta and chicken leg are high in protein. Chicken leg has 26% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Pasta has signficantly less saturated fat than chicken leg - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken leg has 4.4g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken leg and pasta are low in trans fat - chicken leg has 0.06g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Pasta has less cholesterol than chicken leg - chicken leg has 93mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chicken leg and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - chicken leg has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chicken leg has more Vitamin A than pasta - chicken leg has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Chicken leg and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - chicken leg has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Pasta and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Pasta and chicken leg contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken leg has 2.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, chicken leg contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both pasta and chicken leg contain significant amounts of niacin.

Pasta Chicken Leg
Thiamin 0.891 MG 0.073 MG
Riboflavin 0.4 MG 0.141 MG
Niacin 7.177 MG 4.733 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.431 MG 0.994 MG
Vitamin B6 0.142 MG 0.318 MG
Folate 237 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.56 UG

Minerals

calcium

Pasta has 133% more calcium than chicken leg - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 9mg of calcium.

iron

Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 378% more iron than chicken leg - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

potassium

Both pasta and chicken leg are high in potassium. Pasta has a little more potassium (10%) than chicken leg by weight - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids,

Pasta Chicken Leg
lutein + zeaxanthin 18 UG 91 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken leg has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than pasta per 100 grams.

Pasta Chicken Leg
alpha linoleic acid 0.024 G 0.155 G
DHA ~ 0.01 G
EPA ~ 0.004 G
DPA ~ 0.012 G
Total 0.024 G 0.181 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken leg has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.

Pasta Chicken Leg
linoleic acid 0.54 G 2.987 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.54 G 3.003 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Chicken Leg (Chicken, broilers or fryers, leg, meat and skin, raw) .

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FAQ

Does pasta or chicken leg contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both pasta and chicken leg are high in calories. Pasta has 70% more calories than chicken leg - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and chicken leg has 214 calories.

Is pasta or chicken leg better for protein?
Both pasta and chicken leg are high in protein. Chicken leg has 30% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and chicken leg has 16.4g of protein.

Does pasta or chicken leg have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and chicken leg has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and chicken leg has 0.17g of carbohydrates.

Does pasta or chicken leg contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 380% more iron than chicken leg - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chicken leg has 0.69mg of iron.

Does pasta or chicken leg contain more potassium?
Both pasta and chicken leg are high in potassium. Pasta has a little more potassium ( 10%) than chicken leg by weight - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken leg has 203mg of potassium.

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