Is Turkey Healthier Than Chicken?

Short answer: They're practically twins. Roast turkey and baked chicken breast have similar calories (155 vs 160 kcal per 100 g), protein and fat. Choose by taste and price; the skin and the sauce matter far more than the bird.

Nutrition side by side

Per 100 g	Turkey	Chicken
Calories	155 kcal	160 kcal
Protein	29 g	30 g
Fat	4 g	4 g
incl. saturated	1.2 g	1.1 g
Carbohydrates	0 g	0.5 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0.4 g	0.5 g
Nutri-Score	A	A

Rounded averages from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) for the foods as eaten; brands and recipes vary.

Which wins, and when

On calories, protein, fiber, sugar, saturated fat and salt the two are within a whisker of each other — pick on taste and price.

In short: for fewer calories or less saturated fat, look at the “less” lines; for staying full longer, protein and fiber matter most. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.

Portion tips

Turkey: a typical serving (serving, 150 g) is 233 kcal — about 76 min of easy walking for a 70 kg (154 lb) person.
Chicken: a typical serving (serving, 150 g) is 240 kcal — about 78 min of easy walking.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed.