Chicken breast, roasted
Checked by us One serving: 100 g (about ½ chicken breast) · 165 kcal
Protein, plus niacin and selenium. Rich in 1 more nutrient: see Good for.
Nothing to watch so far.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (100 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
31 g in one serving: 55% of the 56 g a day men need, 67% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Listed amount only. 2 absorption studies of this nutrient are on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
- A lot
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
19.7 mg in one serving: 123% of the 16 mg a day men need, 141% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
27.6 µg in one serving: 50% of the 55 µg a day.
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.6 mg in one serving: 46% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
18 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
85.3 mg in one serving: 16% of the 550 mg a day men need, 20% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0.34 µg in one serving: 14% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
30 mg in one serving: 12% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
1 mg in one serving: 9% of the 11 mg a day men need, 13% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Listed amount only. 1 absorption study of this nutrient is on file for this food, but none is quoted yet. Each one is in The numbers, with the reason. See the studies
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.11 mg in one serving: 8% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 10% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
256 mg in one serving: 8% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 10% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
29 mg in one serving: 7% of the 400 mg a day men need, 9% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.07 mg in one serving: 6% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 6% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
1.04 mg in one serving: 13% of the 8 mg a day men need, 6% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
30 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 3% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.27 mg in one serving: 2% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
15 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
4 µg in one serving: 1% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
6 µg in one serving: 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0.1 µg in one serving: 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0.3 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
0 g in one serving: under 1% of the 38 g a day men need, under 1% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Checked for cadmium and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 76 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.1 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 0.6% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 71% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 180,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 700 g a week, which stays within the 53,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 0.55% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade B
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 0.4% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.15 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
Adds 0.44% to EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg/day (no tolerable intake exists for lead), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade B
For some people
Measured, not rated: 141.2 mg purines (taken from a similar food)
Learn more
If you have gout: avoiding organ meats such as liver, which are higher in purines, is one of the diet changes that help lower uric acid in the blood and the number of flares, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Source: NIAMS (NIH), Gout: diagnosis, treatment, and steps to take
How we got this
Not rated for people with gout or hyperuricemia: the only reference is a Japanese dietary recommendation of 400 mg purines a day, seen through Kaneko 2014 rather than an agency document, so no reference is established. Chicken breast measures 141.2 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases). No roasted figure was found, so that value stands in. A 100 g serving carries about 141 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 283 g.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Cholesterol
85 mg in a 100 g serving.
Learn more
Shown, not rated: the current US and Canadian dietary guidelines set no daily limit for cholesterol from food, and put the weight on saturated fat and the overall diet. The Canadian Nutrition Facts table gives it no percent daily value.
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 · Health Canada, Canada’s Dietary Guidelines, Section 1
Sugar
0 g of sugar in a 100 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Measured in this food, not rated yet. Not rated: EFSA's inorganic-arsenic reference (benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL05) 0.06 µg/kg body weight/day) needs the inorganic fraction; the TDS reports total arsenic only and no agency inorganic value for chicken muscle was found
IARC Vol. 56 (1993) classifies individual heterocyclic amines: IQ as 2A, PhIP as 2B. No agency reference point or margin of exposure exists for them. IARC's red-meat classification covers mammalian muscle meat (WHO), so it does not include chicken. Charring forms these compounds: this is preparation advice only.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 100 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More selenium
Tilapia, cooked54.4 µg in 100 g (this food: 27.6 µg) · but less niacin
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For protein: no other main-dish proteins we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 100 g.
For niacin: no other main-dish proteins we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 100 g.
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other main-dish proteins we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Tilapia, cooked
- More vitamin B12 (1.86 µg vs 0.34 µg)
- More selenium (54.4 µg vs 27.6 µg)
- More omega-3: EPA + DHA (135 mg vs 30 mg)
- Less niacin (9.16 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less vitamin B6 (0.12 mg vs 0.6 mg)
Ground beef, 80% lean, cooked- More vitamin B12 (2.8 µg vs 0.34 µg)
- More zinc (6.4 mg vs 1 mg)
- Less niacin (9.68 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less vitamin B6 (0.43 mg vs 0.6 mg)
Eggs, hard-boiled- More choline (294 mg vs 85.3 mg)
- More vitamin B12 (1.11 µg vs 0.34 µg)
- More riboflavin (0.51 mg vs 0.11 mg)
- Less niacin (3.38 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less vitamin B6 (0.12 mg vs 0.6 mg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
- Tilapia, cooked
- 128 kcal in 100 g (this food: 165)
- More vitamin B12 (1.86 µg vs 0.34 µg)
- More selenium (54.4 µg vs 27.6 µg)
- More omega-3: EPA + DHA (135 mg vs 30 mg)
- Less niacin (9.16 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less vitamin B6 (0.12 mg vs 0.6 mg)
Deli turkey breast- 106 kcal in 100 g (this food: 165)
- Less niacin (11.6 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less protein (14.8 g vs 31 g)
Lentils, cooked- 116 kcal in 100 g (this food: 165)
- More fibre (7.9 g vs 0 g)
- More folate (181 µg vs 4 µg)
- More iron (3.33 mg vs 1.04 mg)
- Less niacin (2.41 mg vs 19.7 mg)
- Less selenium (2.8 µg vs 27.6 µg)
None of the 10 other main-dish proteins we could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Mussels, cooked (Cadmium: limit it).
Left out: Chicken liver, simmered (Preformed vitamin A (retinol): limit it).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Chicken breast, skinless, meat only, roasted
How the serving was set: 100 g cooked (Health Canada L.6, cuts of meat and poultry without sauce)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Calcium | 15 mg | 15 mg | 9.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 7 mg | 7 mg | 4.24 mg | second database · not used · 2.1× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| 15 mg | 15 mg | 9.09 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #842 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Choline | 85.3 mg | 85.3 mg | 51.7 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Energy | 165 kcal | 165 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Fat | 3.57 g | 3.57 g | 2.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 3.6 g | 3.6 g | 2.18 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 85 mg | 85 mg | 51.52 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 1.01 g | 1.01 g | 0.61 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Folate | 4 µg | 4 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 10 µg | 10 µg | 6.06 µg | second database · not used · 2.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Iron | 1.04 mg | 1.04 mg | 0.63 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.4 mg | 0.4 mg | 0.24 mg | second database · not used · 2.6× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Magnesium | 29 mg | 29 mg | 17.58 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 30 mg | 30 mg | 18.18 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 19.745 mg | 19.75 mg | 11.97 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #842 | C |
| Phosphorus | 228 mg | 228 mg | 138.18 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 250 mg | 250 mg | 151.52 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Potassium | 256 mg | 256 mg | 155.15 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 360 mg | 360 mg | 218.18 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Protein | 31.02 g | 31.02 g | 18.8 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 30.2 g | 30.2 g | 18.3 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.114 mg | 0.11 mg | 0.07 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.23 mg | 0.23 mg | 0.14 mg | second database · not used · 2× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Selenium | 27.6 µg | 27.6 µg | 16.73 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 14 µg | 14 µg | 8.48 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Sodium | 74 mg | 74 mg | 44.85 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 60 mg | 60 mg | 36.36 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Sugars | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.07 mg | 0.07 mg | 0.04 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.07 mg | 0.07 mg | 0.04 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 6 µg | 6 µg | 3.64 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.34 µg | 0.34 µg | 0.21 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 0.6 mg | 0.36 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.54 mg | 0.54 mg | 0.33 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 µg | 0.1 µg | 0.06 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0.27 mg | 0.27 mg | 0.16 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.31 mg | 0.31 mg | 0.19 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Vitamin K1 | 0.3 µg | 0.3 µg | 0.18 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.04 µg | 0.04 µg | 0.02 µg | second database · not used · 7.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Water | 65.26 g | 65.26 g | 39.55 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 66.9 g | 66.9 g | 40.55 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Zinc | 1 mg | 1 mg | 0.61 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.8 mg | 0.8 mg | 0.48 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Copper | 0.049 mg | 0.05 mg | 0.03 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.17 mg | 0.17 mg | 0.1 mg | second database · not used · 3.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Ash | 1.06 g | 1.06 g | 0.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Energy | 690 kj | 690 kj | 418.18 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 21 iu | 21 iu | 12.73 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 5 iu | 5 iu | 3.03 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | 0.1 µg | 0.1 µg | 0.06 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 25-hydroxycholecalciferol | 0.1 µg | 0.1 µg | 0.06 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Folate, food | 4 µg | 4 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 4 µg | 4 µg | 2.42 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Betaine | 6.2 mg | 6.2 mg | 3.76 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.362 g | 0.36 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Threonine | 1.31 g | 1.31 g | 0.79 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Isoleucine | 1.638 g | 1.64 g | 0.99 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Leucine | 2.328 g | 2.33 g | 1.41 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Lysine | 2.635 g | 2.64 g | 1.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Methionine | 0.859 g | 0.86 g | 0.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Cystine | 0.397 g | 0.4 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 1.231 g | 1.23 g | 0.75 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Tyrosine | 1.047 g | 1.05 g | 0.63 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Valine | 1.539 g | 1.54 g | 0.93 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Arginine | 1.871 g | 1.87 g | 1.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Histidine | 0.963 g | 0.96 g | 0.58 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Alanine | 1.692 g | 1.69 g | 1.03 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 2.764 g | 2.76 g | 1.68 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 4.645 g | 4.65 g | 2.82 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Glycine | 1.524 g | 1.52 g | 0.92 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Proline | 1.275 g | 1.28 g | 0.77 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Serine | 1.067 g | 1.07 g | 0.65 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.69 g | 0.69 g | 0.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.25 g | 0.25 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 1.04 g | 1.04 g | 0.63 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.59 g | 0.59 g | 0.36 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.06 g | 0.06 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.02 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.15 g | 0.15 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.03 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 1.24 g | 1.24 g | 0.75 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.77 g | 0.77 g | 0.47 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Iodine | 1.2 µg | 1.2 µg | 0.73 µg | listed used | USDA iodine database (2024) #Chicken breast, oven-roasted (skin removed) | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| Manganese | 0.017 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 13.712 mg | 13.71 mg | 8.31 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 12.6 mg | 12.6 mg | 7.64 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.965 mg | 0.97 mg | 0.58 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
| 1.38 mg | 1.38 mg | 0.84 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #18-330 | C | |
| Retinol | 6 µg | 6 µg | 3.64 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #171477 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Absorption studies
Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.
No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.
| Study | Nutrient | Absorbed | Test dose | People | Grade | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kashyap 2018: cooked chicken meat, mixed cuts 2H-labelled layer hens (BV-300, 29 wk), intrinsically labelled; mixed cuts, NOT breast-only; skin status not stated · cooked meat: breast, wing, thigh and drumstick pooled, pressure cooked 40 min, frozen, thawed, mixed into a rice-based meal and microwaved 10 s full text read | Protein | 92 % | 22,150 mg | 6 | B | Not used: not graded A, so not a direct human study of this food and preparation. |
| Fairweather-Tait 1992: chicken sandwich, white bread not stated (extrinsic label, mixed meal with bread) · chicken meat sandwich, white bread; chicken cut, skin and cooking method not stated · sandwich extrinsically labelled with 2 mg 67Zn (tracer dose) plus 1.5 mg 70Zn IV; total zinc content of the sandwich not stated abstract only | Zinc | 33.6 % | not reported | 11 | B | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Fairweather-Tait 1992: chicken sandwich, wholemeal bread not stated (extrinsic label, mixed meal with bread) · chicken meat sandwich, wholemeal bread; chicken cut, skin and cooking method not stated · 2 mg 67Zn tracer; sandwich zinc content not stated abstract only | Zinc | 25.4 % | not reported | 11 | B | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Kashyap et al. 2024: chicken breast not stated · cooked chicken meat (banked samples from Kashyap 2018) · load not reported abstract only | Tryptophan | 95.9 % | not reported | 6 | B | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Hodgkinson et al. 2025: chicken breast (pig) animal study chicken breast (Table 1 row order; PDF layout partly scrambled) · Boiled then diced 0.25 cm · diet protein level not read; ration 0.08 x metabolic body weight (kg^0.75) per day full text read | Protein | 97.9 % | not reported | 6 | B | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Christensen et al. 1983: chicken breast broiler-type cockerels intubated with 74Se-selenite for 42 days; meat AND skin of the whole bird (not breast alone) · boiled, deboned, ground chicken meat and skin (skin about 200 g/kg of the patties), frozen, thawed, formed into patties; labelled patties eaten without further heating · 340.5 g labelled boiled chicken per day supplying about 85 microg Se (Table 2), of which about 13.5 microg 74Se (39.6 ng/g x 340.5 g); extrinsic 65.4 microg 76Se as selenite added to the patties on the same day full text read | Selenium | 70.9 % | not reported | 4 | B | Not used: not graded A, so not a direct human study of this food and preparation. |
| Doscherholmen et al. 1978: chicken breast, 100 g chicken chicken meat, cut not stated; in vivo labelled · chicken meat, cooked; method of cooking not stated · 0.4-0.6 ug (100 g chicken) full text read | Vitamin B12 | 65 % | not reported | – | A | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Doscherholmen et al. 1978: chicken breast, 200 g chicken chicken meat, cut not stated; in vivo labelled · chicken meat, cooked; method of cooking not stated · 0.8-1.3 ug (200 g chicken) full text read | Vitamin B12 | 63 % | not reported | – | A | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
| Doscherholmen et al. 1978: chicken breast, 300 g chicken chicken meat, cut not stated; in vivo labelled · chicken meat, cooked; method of cooking not stated · 1.3-1.9 ug (300 g chicken) full text read | Vitamin B12 | 61 % | not reported | – | A | Not used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study. |
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Arsenic, all forms · Not rated yet · Not rated: EFSA's inorganic-arsenic reference (benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL05) 0.06 µg/kg body weight/day) needs the inorganic fraction; the TDS reports total arsenic only and no agency inorganic value for chicken muscle was found · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · B
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 0.55% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · B
- Campylobacter · Context · Context: roasted through, the breast is past this risk. Raw poultry often carries Salmonella or Campylobacter, and Health Canada says cooking poultry to a safe internal temperature kills the bacteria (74 °C for pieces). What still applies is the leftovers rule: refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C. · Health Canada, Poultry safety · A
- Charring compounds · Context · IARC Vol. 56 (1993) classifies individual heterocyclic amines: IQ as 2A, PhIP as 2B. No agency reference point or margin of exposure exists for them. IARC's red-meat classification covers mammalian muscle meat (WHO), so it does not include chicken. Charring forms these compounds: this is preparation advice only. · IARC Monographs Vol · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · Adds 0.44% to EFSA's average adult intake of 35 µg/day (no tolerable intake exists for lead), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · B
- Purines and gout · Not rated yet · Not rated for people with gout or hyperuricemia: the only reference is a Japanese dietary recommendation of 400 mg purines a day, seen through Kaneko 2014 rather than an agency document, so no reference is established. Chicken breast measures 141.2 mg purines per 100 g (HPLC, Kaneko 2014, four purine bases). No roasted figure was found, so that value stands in. A 100 g serving carries about 141 mg. For scale only, 400 mg would be reached at about 283 g. · Kaneko 2014 · C
- Salmonella · Context · Context: roasted through, the breast is past this risk. Raw poultry often carries Salmonella or Campylobacter, and Health Canada says cooking poultry to a safe internal temperature kills the bacteria (74 °C for pieces). What still applies is the leftovers rule: refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C. · Health Canada, Poultry safety · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- histamine: mean 0.16 · range nd–0.47 · n=9 mg/kg · fresh weight (mg/kg or mg/L as the review's table header) · cooked; aged · grade B · Diniz 2025
Sources
- Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - Diniz FB, Dala-Paula BM, et al., Gloria MBA. Histamine in Brazilian Foods: A Comprehensive Review of Occurrence and Risk Assessment for Intoxication and Intolerance. Food Sci Nutr 2025;13(11):e71151. · doi:10.1002/fsn3.71151
diniz2025· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Poultry safety (dcterms.modified 2019-02-06)
hc-poultry-safety· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL) - Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites)
hc-tds-trace-elements· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - IARC Monographs Vol. 56 (1993), IQ: overall evaluation (IPCS INCHEM mirror, last updated 1997-08-21)
iarc-vol56-iq· page · IARC/WHO - Kaneko K, et al. (2014) Total purine and purine base content of common foodstuffs for facilitating nutritional therapy for gout and hyperuricemia. Biol Pharm Bull 37(5):709-721 · doi:10.1248/bpb.b13-00967 · PMID 24553148
kaneko-2014-purines· secondary source · J-STAGE open access - Fairweather-Tait SJ, Fox TE, Wharf SG, Eagles J, Kennedy H. Zinc absorption in adult men from a chicken sandwich made with white or wholemeal bread, measured by a double-label stable-isotope technique. Br J Nutr 1992;67(3):411-419 · doi:10.1079/bjn19920046 · PMID 1622981
pmid:1622981· abstract only · journal copyright - Kashyap S, Shivakumar N, Varkey A, Duraisamy R, Thomas T, Preston T, Devi S, Kurpad AV (2018) Ileal digestibility of intrinsically labeled hen's egg and meat protein determined with the dual stable isotope tracer method in Indian adults. Am J Clin Nutr 108(5):980-987 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqy178 · PMID 30272112
pmid:30272112· full text read · Publisher copyright; abstract cited, nothing redistributed - Doscherholmen A, McMahon J, Ripley D. Vitamin B12 assimilation from chicken meat. Am J Clin Nutr 1978;31:825-30 · doi:10.1093/ajcn/31.5.825 · PMID 645629
pmid:645629· abstract only · Publisher copyright (journal article) - Christensen MJ, Janghorbani M, Steinke FH, Istfan N, Young VR. Simultaneous determination of absorption of selenium from poultry meat and selenite in young men: application of a triple stable-isotope method. Br J Nutr 1983;50:43-50 (author list from the PubMed record). · doi:10.1079/bjn19830070 · PMID 6882731
pmid:6882731· full text read · Cambridge University Press (free PDF) - Hodgkinson SM, Stroebinger N, Stein HH, Fanelli NS, de Vries S, van der Wielen N, et al. True ileal amino acid digestibility of human foods classified according to food type as determined in the growing pig. J Nutr 2025;155:3384-3400. · doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.08.004 · PMID 40812478
pq_hodgkinson2025· full text read · CC BY (Europe PMC licence field) - Kashyap S, Devi S, Pasanna RM, Preston T, Kurpad AV. True digestibility of tryptophan in plant and animal protein. J Nutr 2024;154:3203-3209. · doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.014 · PMID 39307282
pq_kashyap2024_trp· abstract only · licence not recorded - USDA, FDA and ODS-NIH Database for the Iodine Content of Common Foods, Release 4.0 (October 2024; 478 foods). Prepared by Heydorn K, Wambogo E, Spungen JH, Ershow AG, Gahche JJ, Haggans C, Merkel J, Patterson KY, Pehrsson PR. USDA ARS Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory.
usda-iodine-db4· secondary source · US Government work (public domain; USDA ARS)
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.