Tempeh vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Tempeh and Cooked Chicken Breast


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 breast (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken breast has 60% less saturated fat than tempeh.
  • Tempeh has more riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
  • Tempeh is a great source of iron.
  • Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of tempeh and chicken breast 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: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Tempeh src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 16% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and tempeh has 192 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, tempeh is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Tempeh has a macronutrient ratio of 39:15:47 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Tempeh Chicken Breast
Protein 39% 79%
Carbohydrates 15% ~
Fat 47% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chicken breast has less carbohydrates than tempeh - tempeh has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken breast has 53% more protein than tempeh - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Chicken breast has 60% less saturated fat than tempeh - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.5g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Tempeh has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than tempeh - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than tempeh - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken breast and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Chicken breast and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Tempeh has more riboflavin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both tempeh and chicken breast contain significant amounts of thiamin.

Tempeh Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.078 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.358 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 2.64 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.278 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.215 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 24 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 0.08 UG 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium and it has 640% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.

iron

Tempeh is a great source of iron and it has 160% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 61% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg 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 breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than tempeh per 100 grams.

Tempeh Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.248 G 0.03 G
DHA ~ 0.02 G
EPA ~ 0.01 G
DPA ~ 0.01 G
Total 0.248 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

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

Tempeh Chicken Breast
linoleic acid 4.052 G 0.59 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.06 G
Total 4.052 G 0.65 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 Tempeh or Chicken Breast .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does chicken breast or tempeh contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 20% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and tempeh has 192 calories.

Is chicken breast or tempeh better for protein?
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in protein. Chicken breast has 50% more protein than tempeh - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.

Does chicken breast or tempeh contain more calcium?
Tempeh is a rich source of calcium and it has 640% more calcium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.

Does chicken breast or tempeh contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 60% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.