Protein
Chicken breast
Boneless chicken breast is the densest cheap protein most households buy — around 31 grams per cooked serving with very little saturated fat. The organic premium here buys feed and antibiotic standards, not lower residue.
Organic upgrade priority
Residue data does not apply
- →Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to this food in the same way.
Key numbers
- Nutrient density
- 80/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $4.99
- per lb · organic +80%
- Servings a week
- 3.5
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
What to look at instead
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to chicken breast the way it does to fresh produce. These are the measures that actually decide the purchase.
- Protein per serving
- 35 g
- Cost per 10 g protein
- $0.41
- Conventional
- What organic certifies
- Feed + no antibiotics
- Hormones are already prohibited in all U.S. poultry, organic or not — "hormone-free" on a chicken label is marketing.
- Saturated fat
- 1.0 g
- Per 4 oz cooked, skinless
Nutrition
Per 4 oz cooked (113 g).
187
calories
35 g
protein
0 g
fiber
84 mg
sodium
- Protein 35 g
- Niacin 70% DV
- Selenium 45% DV
Buying and storing
- ◆Buying whole chickens and breaking them down costs roughly 40% less per pound of meat than buying breasts, and gives you carcasses for stock.
- ◆Brining for 30 minutes in a 5% salt solution measurably improves moisture retention in lean breast meat.
Common questions
›Is chicken breast a healthy choice?
Boneless chicken breast is the densest cheap protein most households buy — around 31 grams per cooked serving with very little saturated fat. The organic premium here buys feed and antibiotic standards, not lower residue. A 4 oz cooked (113 g) serving provides 187 calories, 35 g protein, and 0 g fiber, scoring 80/100 on nutrient density.
›Does chicken breast need to be organic?
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to chicken breast the way it does to fresh produce, so this site does not assign an organic upgrade priority. Hormones are already prohibited in all U.S. poultry, organic or not — "hormone-free" on a chicken label is marketing.
›What can I buy instead of chicken breast?
If the organic version is out of budget or the fresh price has spiked, Eggs, Lentils, Canned tuna cover similar ground on this list. Each one is either lower on residue evidence, cheaper per serving, or both.
Related foods
Lentils
$2.29 / 1 lb bag · organic $3.29
Nutrition 93/100 · 17.9 g protein · 15.6 g fiber
Not applicableCanned tuna
$1.79 / 5 oz can
Nutrition 84/100 · 39 g protein · 0 g fiber
Not applicableEggs
$4.29 / dozen · organic $6.99
Nutrition 82/100 · 12.6 g protein · 0 g fiber
Not applicableSalmon
$12.99 / lb
Nutrition 92/100 · 25 g protein · 0 g fiber
Not applicable