Brown Rice vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
brown rice
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and chicken:
- Both brown rice and chicken are high in calories.
- Brown rice has 10.9 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Brown rice has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Brown rice has signficantly more dietary fiber than chicken.
- Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Chicken has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown rice.
- Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown rice and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 54% more calories than brown rice - brown rice has 123 calories per 100 grams and chicken has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Rice | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | ~ |
| Fat | 7% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown rice - brown rice has 25.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Brown rice has signficantly more dietary fiber than chicken - brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Brown rice and chicken contain similar amounts of sugar - brown rice has 0.24g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken is an excellent source of protein and it has 750% more protein than brown rice - brown rice has 2.7g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Brown rice has 10.9 times less saturated fat than chicken - brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and brown rice are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Brown rice has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Brown rice and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Brown rice and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both brown rice and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.
| Brown Rice | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.178 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.069 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 2.561 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Brown rice and chicken contain similar amounts of calcium - brown rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Brown rice and chicken contain similar amounts of iron - brown rice has 0.56mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken has 0.93mg of iron.
potassium
Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 687% more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and DPA than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.355 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 0.355 G | 1.838 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .
Cooked Brown Rice g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does brown rice or chicken contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown rice and chicken are high in calories. Chicken has 50% more calories than brown rice - brown rice has 123 calories in 100g and chicken has 189 calories.
Is brown rice or chicken better for protein?
Chicken is a fantastic source of protein and it has 750% more protein than brown rice - brown rice has 2.7g of protein per 100 grams and chicken has 23.3g of protein.
Does brown rice or chicken have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than brown rice - brown rice has 25.6g of carbs for 100g and chicken has no carbs..
Does brown rice or chicken contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 690% more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken has 677mg of potassium.