Atlantic Salmon vs Chicken: Which is healthier?

Atlantic Salmon and Chicken which is the healthier choice

We all want to live a healthy lifestyle. One of the ways in which we try to practice healthy living is to eat foods that are high in nutritional value. Two such food products that are packed with nutritional goodness are Atlantic Salmon and Chicken. Furthermore, we’ll explore the nutritional values of these two food products and how they differ in terms of the amount of nutrients they have. Moreover, we will also discuss how that will impact whether or not Atlantic Salmon or Chicken is healthier for you personally.

Does Atlantic Salmon or Chicken have more protein?

Both Atlantic Salmon and Chicken are rich sources of protein. Nonetheless, which of the two has more protein? Let’s put it to the test:

100g/3.5 ounces of wild Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of farmed Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of skinless Chicken Breast
Protein contained: 19.84 gramsProtein contained: 20.42 gramsProtein contained: 22.5 grams

As seen in the table above, Chicken and more specifically, Chicken Breast has a larger amount of protein than Atlantic Salmon does. Hence in terms of whether Chicken or Atlantic Salmon is the better choice as a source of protein for you depends on whether or not the protein amount in Chicken or Atlantic Salmon is what your body needs to stay healthy.

Does Atlantic Salmon or Chicken have more Omega 3/n-3 Fatty Acids?

When it comes to the question of the amount of Omega 3/n-3 fatty acids in Atlantic Salmon and Chicken, the situation becomes very different as illustrated here:

100g/3.5 ounces of wild Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of farmed Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of skinless Chicken Breast
Omega 3 contained: 1723 milligrams Omega 3 contained: 2507   milligramsOmega 3 contained: 26 milligrams 

As can be seen in the table above it is clear that Atlantic Salmon has a greater amount of Omega 3 fatty acids than chicken, making it a truly potent source of Omega 3 that can greatly benefit overall health. This includes cardiovascular health according to the Harvard Medical School. That being said, we have also seen that Chicken also has Omega 3 within it albeit in a smaller amount.

Does Atlantic Salmon or Chicken have more Selenium?

Yet another vital mineral that is present in both Atlantic Salmon and Chicken is Selenium. Selenium is important for the efficient functioning of your immune system thanks its antioxidant properties. In addition to that it helps to maintain cognitive health alongside many other health benefits. Let us now look at the amount of Selenium that is contained in Atlantic Salmon and Chicken and make a comparison:

100g/3.5 ounces of wild Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of farm raised Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of skinless Chicken Breast
Selenium contained: 36.5 micrograms.Selenium contained: 24 micrograms.Selenium contained: 22.8 micrograms.

As can be seen in the table above, Atlantic Salmon, be it farm raised or wild caught, has a higher amount of selenium compared to the amount found in Chicken Breast. While this may indicate that Atlantic Salmon is the more potent source of Selenium, it in no way diminishes the fact that Chicken or in this case Chicken Breast contains a significant amount of Selenium.

Does Atlantic Salmon or Chicken have more Vitamin B6?

We now move on to the first of two vitamins found in both Atlantic Salmon and Chicken, Vitamin B6. It is said to have a variety of health benefits such as potentially reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Here’s a table to illustrate how much Vitamin B6 is present in Chicken and Atlantic Salmon.

100 grams/3.5 ounces of wild Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of farm raised Atlantic Salmon100g/3.5 ounces of skinless Chicken Breast
0.818 milligrams/818 micrograms0.636 milligrams/636 micrograms0.811milligrams/811 micrograms

Very interestingly, there is a difference in the amount of Vitamin B6 that is present in wild Atlantic Salmon and farm raised Atlantic Salmon which could be due to external factors such as the individual salmon’s nutritional value which may vary, but one thing is clear however, both wild Atlantic Salmon and Chicken have a significant amount of Vitamin B6.

Vitamin B12 amounts in Atlantic Salmon and Chicken

On to the next major vitamin in Atlantic Salmon and Chicken that we will be discussing, Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 has a vital role to play in the body’s metabolisation of energy and like Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 can potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

100 grams/3.5 ounces of wild Atlantic Salmon100 grams/3.5 ounces of farm raised Atlantic Salmon100 grams/3.5 ounces of skinless Chicken Breast
3.18 micrograms/3180 nanograms3.23 micrograms/3230 nanograms0.21 micrograms/210 nanograms

As can be seen from the table above, Atlantic Salmon has a higher amount of Vitamin B12 than Chicken breast and showcases the significant difference in terms of the amount of Vitamin B12 that Chicken and Atlantic Salmon have. It is also fascinating to note that there is a difference in the amount of Vitamin B12 in wild and farmed Atlantic Salmon. This is similar to what we saw in previous tables that highlighted the different nutritional values of wild and farmed Atlantic Salmon. This difference could again depend on external factors such as the individual nutritional values of either farmed or wild Atlantic Salmon, as seen in how at times farmed Atlantic Salmon seemed to be more nutritious than wild Atlantic Salmon.

Everybody’s needs are different

The information featured in the various tables were taken from the USDA/U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website. The information provided is only meant to be a baseline to facilitate an introduction to some of the nutritional values within Atlantic Salmon and Chicken and how they may differ at times. Nevertheless, it is still important to check what best suits your personal nutritional needs with a nutritionist or dietician that you trust so that you can develop a diet plan that best suits your unique needs.

Places where you can buy Atlantic Salmon and Chicken in Singapore

You can purchase great quality Atlantic Salmon and Chicken at various online platforms such as Pickme and Shopee or at local supermarkets. Thank you for your time and hopefully you will be able to fit Chicken and Atlantic Salmon into your diet as you pursue a healthy lifestyle.

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