Crab Meat vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Crab Meat and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
crab meat
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in crab meat and chicken:
- Both chicken and crab meat are high in potassium and protein.
- Chicken has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, crab meat contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
- Crab meat has 14.4 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Crab meat is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Crab Meat (Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chicken is high in calories and crab meat has 56% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and crab meat has 83 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, crab meat is much heavier in protein, much lighter in fat and similar to chicken for carbs. Crab meat has a macronutrient ratio of 92:0:9 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Crab Meat | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 92% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 9% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both chicken and crab meat are high in protein. Chicken has 30% more protein than crab meat - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and crab meat has 17.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Crab meat has 14.4 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and crab meat are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.01g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Chicken and crab meat contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and crab meat has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Crab meat has more Vitamin C than chicken - crab meat has 3.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Crab meat and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - crab meat has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Crab meat has 372% more Vitamin E than chicken - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and crab meat has 1.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and crab meat contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, crab meat contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both crab meat and chicken contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Crab Meat | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.093 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 2.747 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.997 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.156 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 51 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.33 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Crab meat is an excellent source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and crab meat has 91mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken has 86% more iron than crab meat - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and crab meat has 0.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and crab meat are high in potassium. Chicken has 161% more potassium than crab meat - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and crab meat has 259mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than crab meat per 100 grams, however, crab meat contains more dha and epa than chicken per 100 grams. Both crab meat and chicken contain significant amounts of DPA.
| Crab Meat | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | 0.067 G | 0.031 G |
| EPA | 0.101 G | 0.008 G |
| DPA | 0.009 G | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.186 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than crab meat per 100 grams.
| Crab Meat | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.02 G | 1.818 G |
| Total | 0.02 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.
Crab Meat g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does chicken or crab meat contain more calories in 100 grams?Chicken is high in calories and crab meat has 60% less calories than chicken - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and crab meat has 83 calories.
Is chicken or crab meat better for protein?
Both chicken and crab meat are high in protein. Chicken has 30% more protein than crab meat - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and crab meat has 17.9g of protein.
Does chicken or crab meat contain more calcium?
Crab meat is a rich source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and crab meat has 91mg of calcium.
Does chicken or crab meat contain more potassium?
Both chicken and crab meat are high in potassium. Chicken has 160% more potassium than crab meat - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and crab meat has 259mg of potassium.