Tempeh vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Tempeh and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tempeh
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tempeh and chicken:
- Both chicken and tempeh are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, tempeh contains more folate.
- Tempeh has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Tempeh is a great source of iron.
- Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken and tempeh are high in calories. Chicken is very similar to chicken for calories - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and tempeh has 192 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tempeh is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Tempeh has a macronutrient ratio of 39:15:47 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tempeh | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 15% | ~ |
| Fat | 47% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken has less carbohydrates than tempeh - tempeh has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken has 15% more protein than tempeh - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken and tempeh contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.5g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and tempeh are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Tempeh has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Chicken has more Vitamin E than tempeh - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Chicken and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, tempeh contains more folate. Both tempeh and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Tempeh | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.358 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 2.64 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.278 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.215 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 24 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.08 UG | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
iron
Tempeh is a great source of iron and it has 190% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and tempeh are high in potassium. Chicken has 64% more potassium than tempeh - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tempeh has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken per 100 grams, however, chicken contains more dha and dpa than tempeh per 100 grams.
| Tempeh | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.248 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.248 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tempeh has more linoleic acid than chicken per 100 grams.
| Tempeh | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 4.052 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 4.052 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.
Tempeh g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| 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% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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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 tempeh contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and tempeh are high in calories. Chicken is quite similar to chicken for calories - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and tempeh has 192 calories.
Is chicken or tempeh better for protein?
Both chicken and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken has 20% more protein than tempeh - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Does chicken or tempeh contain more calcium?
Tempeh is a rich source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium in 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
Does chicken or tempeh contain more potassium?
Both chicken and tempeh are high in potassium. Chicken has 60% more potassium than tempeh - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.