Head-to-head comparison

Chicken Breast (skinless) vs Sardines (canned in oil): Which Has More Protein?

Chicken Breast (skinless) vs Sardines (canned in oil) is a genuinely useful comparison because the two differ meaningfully on more than one axis, not just total protein.

Chicken Breast (skinless)

31.0gprotein / 100g

165 cal · 3.6g fat · $ · Quality 0.94

Sardines (canned in oil)

24.6gprotein / 100g

208 cal · 11.5g fat · $ · Quality 0.9

There's a meaningful protein-density gap here: Chicken Breast (skinless) runs 31.0g per 100g against Sardines (canned in oil)'s 24.6g, roughly 6.4g more per equal weight.

Protein quality is essentially matched between the two — both land in a similar tier for amino acid completeness.

Cost is roughly comparable between the two ($), so budget isn't the deciding factor here.

Chicken Breast (skinless)'s typical serving also delivers more leucine (2400mg vs Sardines (canned in oil)'s 2000mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.

Verdict

If raw protein density is what you're optimizing for, Chicken Breast (skinless) wins clearly. Choose Sardines (canned in oil) instead if its lower fat, cost, or prep time matters more to you than the extra grams.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gChicken Breast (skinless)Sardines (canned in oil)
Protein31.0g24.6g
Calories165208
Fat3.6g11.5g
Carbs0.0g0.0g
Fiber0.0g0.0g
Quality score0.940.9
Relative cost$$
Prep time20 min1 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, chicken breast (skinless) or sardines (canned in oil)?

Chicken Breast (skinless) has 31.0g of protein per 100g compared to Sardines (canned in oil)'s 24.6g.

Which is lower in calories?

Chicken Breast (skinless) is lower in calories per 100g, at 165 vs the other's 208.