Beef vs. Ham
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Ham
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
ham
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and ham:
- Both beef and ham are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Ham has more thiamin, however, beef contains more pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Ham (Ham, minced) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and ham are high in calories. Beef has a little more calories (5%) than ham by weight - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and ham has 263 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to ham for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for ham, 25:3:72 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 3% |
| Fat | 62% | 72% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both ham and beef are low in carbohydrates - ham has 1.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and ham are high in protein. Beef has 56% more protein than ham - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and ham has 16.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beef and ham are high in saturated fat. Beef is very similar to ham for saturated fat - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and ham has 7.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Ham has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Beef and ham contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and ham has 70mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Ham has 12 times more Vitamin D than beef - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and ham has 26iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Beef and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and ham has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Ham has more thiamin, however, beef contains more pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and ham contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.712 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 4.162 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.18 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.26 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 1 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 0.95 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 250% more calcium than ham - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and ham has 10mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 185% more iron than ham - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and ham has 0.79mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and ham are high in potassium. Beef is very similar to beef for potassium - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, ham has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.31 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.31 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, ham has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Ham | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 2.16 G |
| Total | 0.402 G | 2.16 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beef or Ham .
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Ham 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 ham contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and ham are high in calories. Beef has a little more calories ( 10%) than ham by weight - beef has 277 calories in 100g and ham has 263 calories.
Is beef or ham better for protein?
Both beef and ham are high in protein. Beef has 60% more protein than ham - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and ham has 16.3g of protein.
Does beef or ham contain more potassium?
Both beef and ham are high in potassium. Beef is very similar to beef for potassium - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.