Clams vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Clams 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 clams versus cooked chicken (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken and clams are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken has more niacin and Vitamin B6, however, clam contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Clam has 15.5 times less saturated fat than chicken.
  • Clam is a great source of iron.
  • Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of clams 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: Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Clams src
Image of Chicken src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken and clams are high in calories. Chicken has 28% more calories than clam - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and clam has 148 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, clams is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Clams has a macronutrient ratio of 73:15:13 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Clams Chicken
Protein 73% 49%
Carbohydrates 15% ~
Fat 13% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chicken has less carbohydrates than clam - clam has 5.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken and clams are high in protein. Clam has a little more protein (10%) than chicken by weight - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Clam has 15.5 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and clam has 0.19g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and clams are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Clam has 37% less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and clam has 67mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than chicken - clam has 22.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than chicken - clam has 171ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken has more Vitamin E than clam - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Chicken and clams contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Chicken has more niacin and Vitamin B6, however, clam contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both clams and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Clams Chicken
Thiamin 0.15 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.426 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 3.354 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.68 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.11 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 29 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 98.89 UG 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Clam is an excellent source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.

iron

Clam is a great source of iron and it has 202% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and clam has 2.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken and clams are high in potassium. Chicken has a little more potassium (8%) than clam by weight - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Clams Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.008 G 0.1 G
DHA 0.146 G 0.031 G
EPA 0.138 G 0.008 G
DPA 0.104 G 0.016 G
Total 0.396 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

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

Clams Chicken
linoleic acid 0.032 G 1.818 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
Total 0.032 G 1.838 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 Clams or Chicken .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

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FAQ

Does chicken or clams contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken and clams are high in calories. Chicken has 30% more calories than clam - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and clam has 148 calories.

Is chicken or clams better for protein?
Both chicken and clams are high in protein. Clam has a little more protein ( 10%) than chicken by weight - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.

Does chicken or clams contain more calcium?
Clam is a rich source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.

Does chicken or clams contain more potassium?
Both chicken and clams are high in potassium. Chicken has a little more potassium ( 10%) than clam by weight - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.