Does Fish Have More Protein Than Chicken?

Protein provides building blocks for your body’s muscles, cells and blood. The quality of the type of protein you choose affects your health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chicken and fish are both complete proteins that provide good quality protein for your diet. Although chicken has more protein per gram than fish, consider the calories, fats and amino acid differences before you choose.

Chicken vs. Fish

Without the skin and bones, a 3-oz. portion of stewed chicken weighs 85 g. With a protein content of 26 g, it provides 52 percent of the daily value for protein in a 2,000-calorie adult diet. Salmon has the highest protein content per gram of all fish listed in the USDA’s National Nutrient Database. An 85-g serving of this fish has 22 g of protein, which is 43 percent of the adult daily value for protein.

Amino Acids

The essential amino acids in protein are indicators of its quality. Complete proteins provide nine essential amino acids your body cannot make. The Institute of Medicine’s established dietary requirements for amino acids apply to everyone older than 12 months. IOM’s essential amino acid recommended intake in milligrams per gram of protein are 7 for tryptophan; 18 for histidine; 25 for isoleucine and methionine + cysteine; 27 for threonine; 32 for valine; 47 for phenylalanine + tyrosine; 51 for lysine; and 55 for leucine.

Fish and Chicken Amino Acids

Both fish and chicken are complete protein sources; however, they do not provide the same amount of essential amino acids per serving. Salmon’s amino acid content in milligrams per grams is greater than chicken’s for all essential amino acids. The amounts of non-essential amino acids in fish are also higher.

Considerations

The 85-g serving of chicken contains 201 calories. With 71 mg of cholesterol, it has 36 percent of the DV. With 10 g of fat, this serving of chicken has 15 percent of the daily value for fat. The saturated fat content is 2.6 g or 13 percent of the DV for an adult diet. It also has 3.4 g of monounsaturated fat and 2.4 g of polyunsaturated fat. In contrast, the salmon has 144 calories per 85-g serving. The cholesterol content is 54 mg, or 18 percent of the DV. It contains 5.7 g of fat or 9 percent of the DV. At 0.78 g, the salmon’s saturated fat content is 4 percent of the DV. It has 1.2 g each of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.