White Rice vs. Chicken Breast

Nutrition comparison of Cooked White Rice 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 cooked white rice versus cooked chicken breast (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both white rice and chicken breast are high in calories.
  • Chicken breast has signficantly less carbohydrates than white rice.
  • Chicken breast is a great source of potassium.
  • Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein.
  • White rice has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
Detailed nutritional comparison of white rice 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: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of White Rice src
Image of Chicken Breast src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both white rice and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken breast has 27% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, white rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. White rice has a macronutrient ratio of 8:91:1 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

White Rice Chicken Breast
Protein 8% 79%
Carbohydrates 91% ~
Fat 1% 21%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chicken breast has signficantly less carbohydrates than white rice - white rice has 28.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

White rice has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

White rice and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - white rice has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

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

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin D

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

Vitamin E

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

Vitamin K

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

The B Vitamins

White rice has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

White Rice Chicken Breast
Thiamin 0.167 MG 0.07 MG
Riboflavin 0.016 MG 0.114 MG
Niacin 1.835 MG 13.712 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.411 MG 0.965 MG
Vitamin B6 0.05 MG 0.6 MG
Folate 58 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.34 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chicken breast has 400% more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.

iron

White rice has 43% more iron than chicken breast - white rice has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.

potassium

Chicken breast is a great source of potassium and it has 783% more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than white rice per 100 grams.

White Rice Chicken Breast
alpha linoleic acid 0.01 G 0.03 G
DHA ~ 0.02 G
EPA ~ 0.01 G
DPA ~ 0.01 G
Total 0.01 G 0.07 G

omega 6s

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

White Rice Chicken Breast
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.59 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.06 G
Total 0.046 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 White Rice or Chicken Breast .

Note: The specific food items compared are: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .

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FAQ

Does white rice or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both white rice and chicken breast are high in calories. Chicken breast has 30% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.

Is white rice or chicken breast better for protein?
Chicken breast is a fantastic source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Does white rice or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken breast has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than white rice - white rice has 28.6g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..