Beef vs. Sausage

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Sausage


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

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

  • Both beef and sausage are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
  • Beef is a great source of iron.
  • Sausage has 11.1 times less trans fat than beef.
  • Sausage has more thiamin, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and sausage 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 Sausage (Sausage, Italian, pork, mild, cooked, pan-fried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Sausage src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between beef and sausage. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and sausage are high in calories. Sausage has 17% more calories than beef - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and sausage has 324 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to sausage for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for sausage, 23:2:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Sausage
Protein 38% 23%
Carbohydrates ~ 2%
Fat 62% 75%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both sausage and beef are low in carbohydrates - sausage has 1.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Beef has less sugar than sausage - sausage has 1.4g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both beef and sausage are high in protein. Beef has 38% more protein than sausage - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and sausage has 18.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both beef and sausage are high in saturated fat. Sausage has 23% more saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sausage has 9g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Sausage has 11.1 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and sausage has 0.1g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Beef and sausage contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sausage has 81mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Beef and sausage contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sausage has 10ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Sausage has 19 times more Vitamin D than beef - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sausage has 41iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Beef and sausage contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sausage has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and sausage contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sausage has 3.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Sausage has more thiamin, however, beef contains more folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and sausage contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Beef Sausage
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.346 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.263 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 6.279 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 0.838 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.371 MG
Folate 11 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 0.9 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 169% more calcium than sausage - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and sausage has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 80% more iron than sausage - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and sausage has 1.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both beef and sausage are high in potassium. Sausage has 23% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and sausage has 339mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, sausage has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Sausage
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.184 G
DHA ~ 0.004 G
EPA ~ 0.007 G
DPA ~ 0.024 G
Total 0.056 G 0.219 G

omega 6s

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

Beef Sausage
other omega 6 ~ 0.035 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 4.267 G
Total 0.39 G 4.302 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 Sausage .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Sausage (Sausage, Italian, pork, mild, cooked, pan-fried) .

Cooked Beef g

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MG cholesterol MG
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does beef or sausage contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and sausage are high in calories. Sausage has 20% more calories than beef - beef has 277 calories in 100g and sausage has 324 calories.

Is beef or sausage better for protein?
Both beef and sausage are high in protein. Beef has 40% more protein than sausage - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and sausage has 18.4g of protein.

Does beef or sausage contain more potassium?
Both beef and sausage are high in potassium. Sausage has 20% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and sausage has 339mg of potassium.