Lamb vs. Turkey
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lamb and Cooked Turkey
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lamb
versus
cooked
turkey
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lamb and turkey:
- Both turkey and lamb are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Lamb has more thiamin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, turkey contains more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both turkey and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than turkey - turkey has 189 calories per 100 grams and lamb has 283 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lamb is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to turkey for carbs. Lamb has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:64 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lamb | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 63% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 64% | 37% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both turkey and lamb are low in carbohydrates - turkey has 0.06g of total carbs per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both turkey and lamb are high in protein. Turkey has 15% more protein than lamb - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lamb is high in saturated fat and turkey has 73% less saturated fat than lamb - turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both turkey and lamb are low in trans fat - turkey has 0.1g of trans fat per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Turkey and lamb contain similar amounts of cholesterol - turkey has 109mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lamb has 97mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Turkey has more Vitamin A than lamb - turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Turkey and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Turkey and lamb contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lamb has more Vitamin K than turkey - lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Lamb has more thiamin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, turkey contains more Vitamin B6. Both lamb and turkey contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Lamb | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.1 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.25 MG | 0.281 MG |
| Niacin | 6.7 MG | 9.573 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.66 MG | 0.948 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.14 MG | 0.616 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.61 UG | 1.02 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lamb has 57% more calcium than turkey - turkey has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and lamb has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Lamb has 64% more iron than turkey - turkey has 1.1mg of iron per 100 grams and lamb has 1.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both turkey and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 42% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg 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 turkey per 100 grams.
| Lamb | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.26 G | 0.108 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.005 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.26 G | 0.129 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lamb and turkey contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lamb | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.07 G | 1.873 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 1.07 G | 1.883 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 Lamb g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Turkey 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 % |
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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 turkey or lamb contain more calories in 100 grams?Both turkey and lamb are high in calories. Lamb has 50% more calories than turkey - turkey has 189 calories in 100g and lamb has 283 calories.
Is turkey or lamb better for protein?
Both turkey and lamb are high in protein. Turkey has 20% more protein than lamb - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and lamb has 24.8g of protein.
Does turkey or lamb contain more potassium?
Both turkey and lamb are high in potassium. Lamb has 40% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg of potassium in 100 grams and lamb has 339mg of potassium.