In an recent episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I talked about the pros and cons of plant-based chicken.
As a supplement to that episode, I’ve put together a comparison of key nutrients and ingredients in several leading brands of plant-based chicken (as well as actual chicken).
The first table compares breaded nuggets, which is the most common format. The second compares the one brand of unbreaded plant-based chicken I could locate with boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked).
Note: The values in these tables may not match the numbers that you’ll see on the Nutrition Facts labels of these products. That’s because the manufacturers’ serving sizes ranged from 2.5 ounces (70g) to 3.5 ounces (95g). In order to make the comparisons fair, the tables below show the nutrient values for 3 ounces (85g) of each product.
Plant-based chicken nuggets (breaded)
| 3 oz serving | Chicken | Daring | Meatless Farm | Beyond Meat | Impossible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 214 | 180 | 240 | 225 | 216 |
| Fat (g) | 11 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
| Sat fat (g) | 3 | 1 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Carb (g) | 15 | 19 | 22 | 16 | 17 |
| Fiber (g) | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | <1 |
| Protein (g) | 14 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
| Iron (mg) | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Potassium (mg) | 191 | 196 | 370 | 265 | 510 |
| Sodium (mg) | 379 | 610 | 400 | 475 | 430 |
| Gluten free | No | No | No | No | No |
| Soy free | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ingredients | Chicken, water, wheat flour, contains 2% or less of the following: brown sugar, corn starch, dried garlic, dried onion, dried yeast, extractives of paprika, natural flavor, oat fiber, salt, spices, wheat starch, white whole wheat flour, yellow corn flour. Breading set in vegetable oil. | Water, Soy Protein-Concentrate, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Spices (Paprika, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mace, Cardamon), wheat flour, canola oil, water, yellow corn flour, potato starch, rice flour, salt, leavening (cream of tartar, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), sugar, dextrose, garlic, onion, yeast. | Vegetable proteins (Water, Wheat Protein, Wheat Flour), Cornflakes (Corn, Sugar, Salt, Barley Malt Extract), Water, Sunflower Oil, Wheat Gluten, Wheat Flour, Pea Starch, Pea Protein, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Yeast Extract, Bamboo Fiber, Methylcellulose, Potassium Lactate | Water, Faba Bean Protein, Breading (Wheat Flour, Rice Flour, Salt, Corn Starch, Pea Proteinᵗ, Canola Oil, Wheat Gluten, Paprika, Spices, Dextrose, Leavening[Sodium Acid Phrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Monocalcium Phosphate], Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Sugar, Sea Salt, Dried Yeast), Vital Wheat Gluten, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavors, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Pea starch, Methylcellulose, and 1% or less of Yeast Extract, Refined Coconut Oil, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sodium Phosphates, Spices, Titanium dioxide (for color), Sunflower Lecithin. | Water, Wheat Flour, Soy Protein Concentrate, Soybean Oil, Sunflower Oil, , 2% or less Of: Potato Starch, Methylcellulose, Salt, Natural Flavors, Cultured Dextrose, Wheat Gluten, Yeast Extract, Yellow Corn Flour, Dextrose, Food Starch Modified, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Spices, Leavening (Cream of Tartar, Sodium Bicarbonate), Dried Yeast, Paprika Extract (for color), Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant) Vitamins and Minerals: (Zinc Gluconate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Vitamin B12). |
Plant-based chicken vs chicken (plain)
| 3 oz serving | Chicken | Daring |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 128 | 108 |
| Fat (g) | 3 | 2 |
| Sat fat (g) | 1 | 0 |
| Carb (g) | 0 | 6 |
| Fiber (g) | 0 | 6 |
| Sugars (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 26 | 17 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.5 | 4 |
| Potassium (mg) | 332 | 416 |
| Sodium (mg) | 44 | 480 |
| Gluten free | Yes | Yes |
| Soy free | Yes | No |
| Ingredients | Chicken | Water, Soy Protein-Concentrate, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Natural Flavor, Spices (Paprika, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mace, Cardamon) |
You said it all when you called it a fake meat.
Really love it yummy!!!
It appears to me the healthy choice is still chicken.