Shrimp vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Shrimp and Cooked Chicken


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

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

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

  • Both chicken and shrimp are high in protein.
  • Chicken has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, shrimp contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Chicken is an excellent source of potassium.
  • Shrimp has 10.9 times less saturated fat than chicken.
  • Shrimp is a great source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of shrimp and chicken 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: Shrimp (Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Shrimp src
Image of Chicken src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between shrimp and chicken. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Chicken is high in calories and shrimp has 62% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and shrimp has 71 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, shrimp is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Shrimp has a macronutrient ratio of 71:9:20 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Shrimp Chicken
Protein 71% 49%
Carbohydrates 9% ~
Fat 20% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both shrimp and chicken are low in carbohydrates - shrimp has 0.91g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken and shrimp are high in protein. Chicken has 71% more protein than shrimp - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Shrimp has 10.9 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.26g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and shrimp are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.02g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Chicken and shrimp contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and shrimp has 126mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Shrimp has more Vitamin A than chicken - shrimp has 54ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Shrimp and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - shrimp has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken and shrimp contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and shrimp has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and shrimp contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Shrimp Chicken
Thiamin 0.02 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.015 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 1.778 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.31 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.161 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 19 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 1.11 UG 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Shrimp is a great source of calcium and it has 575% more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and shrimp has 54mg of calcium.

iron

Chicken has 343% more iron than shrimp - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.21mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken is an excellent source of potassium and it has 499% more potassium than shrimp - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and shrimp has 113mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Shrimp Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.006 G 0.1 G
DHA 0.07 G 0.031 G
EPA 0.068 G 0.008 G
DPA 0.006 G 0.016 G
Total 0.15 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

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

Shrimp Chicken
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
linoleic acid 0.095 G 1.818 G
Total 0.095 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: Shrimp (Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

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FAQ

Does chicken or shrimp contain more calories in 100 grams?
Chicken is high in calories and shrimp has 60% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and shrimp has 71 calories.

Is chicken or shrimp better for protein?
Both chicken and shrimp are high in protein. Chicken has 70% more protein than shrimp - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.

Does chicken or shrimp contain more potassium?
Chicken is a rich source of potassium and it has 500% more potassium than shrimp - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and shrimp has 113mg of potassium.

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