Beef vs. Salmon
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Salmon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
salmon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and salmon:
- Both beef and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Beef has more folate.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than beef.
- Salmon has 33.3 times less trans fat than beef.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and salmon are high in calories. Beef has 118% more calories than salmon - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to salmon for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for salmon, 67:0:33 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 33% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both beef and salmon are high in protein. Beef has 24% more protein than salmon - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and salmon has 89% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Salmon has 33.3 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.03g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Salmon has 48% less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Salmon has 10 times more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 216 times more Vitamin D than beef - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Beef and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more folate. Both beef and salmon contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
| Beef | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.105 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 7.995 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 1.03 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.611 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 4.15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 400% more calcium than salmon - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 492% more iron than salmon - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 33% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more DHA, EPA and DPA than beef per 100 grams. Both beef and salmon contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.047 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.333 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.182 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.609 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Beef | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.081 G |
| Total | 0.39 G | 0.085 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 (%) |
Salmon 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 beef or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and salmon are high in calories. Beef has 120% more calories than salmon - beef has 277 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is beef or salmon better for protein?
Both beef and salmon are high in protein. Beef has 20% more protein than salmon - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does beef or salmon contain more potassium?
Both beef and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 30% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.