Beef vs. Lamb
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Lamb
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
lamb
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and lamb:
- Both beef and lamb are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
- Beef has more Vitamin B6.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and lamb are high in calories. Beef is very similar to beef for calories - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and lamb has 283 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is similar to lamb for protein, carbs and fat. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for lamb, 36:0:64 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Lamb | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 64% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Protein
protein
Both beef and lamb are high in protein. Beef is very similar to lamb for protein - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beef and lamb are high in saturated fat. Beef is very similar to beef for saturated fat - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Lamb has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Beef and lamb contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lamb has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Beef and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Beef and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more Vitamin B6. Both beef and lamb contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Beef | Lamb | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.25 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 6.7 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.66 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 19 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 2.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 59% more calcium than lamb - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and lamb has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 26% more iron than lamb - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and lamb has 1.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 23% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lamb has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Lamb | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.26 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.26 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lamb has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Lamb | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.047 G | 0.07 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 1.07 G |
| Total | 0.437 G | 1.14 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 Lamb g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 lamb contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and lamb are high in calories. Beef is quite similar to beef for calories - beef has 277 calories in 100g and lamb has 283 calories.
Is beef or lamb better for protein?
Both beef and lamb are high in protein. Beef is very similar to lamb for protein - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Does beef or lamb contain more potassium?
Both beef and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 20% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.