Beef vs. Pork
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Pork
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
cooked
pork
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and pork:
- Both pork and beef are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Pork has more thiamin, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Pork (Pork, fresh, ground, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pork and beef are high in calories. Pork has a little more calories (7%) than beef by weight - pork has 297 calories per 100 grams and beef has 277 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is similar to pork for protein, carbs and fat. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for pork, 36:0:65 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Pork | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 65% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both pork and beef are high in protein. Pork is very similar to beef for protein - pork has 25.7g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pork and beef are high in saturated fat. Pork has a little more saturated fat (5%) than beef by weight - pork has 7.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beef has 7.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Pork has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and pork does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Pork and beef contain similar amounts of cholesterol - pork has 94mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and beef has 88mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Pork has more Vitamin C than beef - pork has 0.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Pork and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - pork has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Pork has 950% more Vitamin D than beef - pork has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and beef has 2iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Pork and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pork has 0.21mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and pork contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pork does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pork has more thiamin, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12. Both beef and pork contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Beef | Pork | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.706 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.22 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 4.206 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.52 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.391 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 6 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 0.54 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 59% more calcium than pork - pork has 22mg of calcium per 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 74% more iron than pork - pork has 1.3mg of iron per 100 grams and beef has 2.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both pork and beef are high in potassium. Pork has 32% more potassium than beef - pork has 362mg of potassium per 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beef and pork contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Pork | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.07 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pork has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Pork | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.047 G | 0.08 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 1.64 G |
| Total | 0.437 G | 1.72 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Pork g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does pork or beef contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pork and beef are high in calories. Pork has a little more calories ( 10%) than beef by weight - pork has 297 calories in 100g and beef has 277 calories.
Is pork or beef better for protein?
Both pork and beef are high in protein. Pork is very similar to beef for protein - pork has 25.7g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Does pork or beef contain more potassium?
Both pork and beef are high in potassium. Pork has 30% more potassium than beef - pork has 362mg of potassium in 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.