Beef vs. Bison

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Bison


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 bison (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and bison:

  • Both beef and bison are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Beef has more pantothenic acid.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and bison is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Bison (Game meat, bison, separable lean only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Bison src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and bison are high in calories. Beef has 94% more calories than bison - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and bison has 143 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to bison for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for bison, 84:0:16 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Bison
Protein 38% 84%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 62% 16%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both beef and bison are high in protein. Bison has 12% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and bison has 28.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and bison has 88% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and bison has 0.91g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Bison has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and bison does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Beef and bison contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and bison has 82mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Beef and bison contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bison does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Beef and bison contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bison does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Beef and bison contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bison has 0.36mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and bison contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bison has 1.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Beef has more pantothenic acid. Both beef and bison contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Beef Bison
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.1 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.27 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 3.71 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.4 MG
Folate 11 UG 8 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 2.86 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 338% more calcium than bison - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and bison has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Both beef and bison are high in iron. Bison has 52% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and bison has 3.4mg of iron.

potassium

Both beef and bison are high in potassium. Bison has 31% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and bison has 361mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both beef and bison contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beef Bison
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.04 G
Total 0.056 G 0.04 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than bison per 100 grams.

Beef Bison
other omega 6 0.047 G 0.07 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 0.14 G
Total 0.437 G 0.21 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Bison (Game meat, bison, separable lean only, cooked, roasted) .

Cooked Beef g

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Cooked Bison g

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G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
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Vitamins and Minerals
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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does beef or bison contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and bison are high in calories. Beef has 90% more calories than bison - beef has 277 calories in 100g and bison has 143 calories.

Is beef or bison better for protein?
Both beef and bison are high in protein. Bison has 10% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and bison has 28.4g of protein.

Does beef or bison contain more iron?
Both beef and bison are high in iron. Bison has 50% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and bison has 3.4mg of iron.

Does beef or bison contain more potassium?
Both beef and bison are high in potassium. Bison has 30% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and bison has 361mg of potassium.