Beef vs. Turkey
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef 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
beef
versus
cooked
turkey
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and turkey:
- Both beef and turkey are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Turkey has 10.5 times less trans fat than beef.
- Turkey has more niacin, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, 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 beef and turkey are high in calories. Beef has 47% more calories than turkey - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and turkey has 189 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to turkey for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 63% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | ~ |
| Fat | 62% | 37% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both turkey and beef are low in carbohydrates - turkey has 0.06g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 12% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and turkey has 71% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Turkey has 10.5 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and turkey has 0.1g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Beef and turkey contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and turkey has 109mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Beef and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Turkey has more niacin, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12. Both beef and turkey contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Beef | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.281 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 9.573 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.948 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.616 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 1.02 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 150% more calcium than turkey - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and turkey has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 106% more iron than turkey - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and turkey has 1.1mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and turkey are high in potassium. Beef has 15% more potassium than turkey - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beef and turkey contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.108 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.005 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.129 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, turkey has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.01 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 1.873 G |
| Total | 0.39 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 Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Turkey 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 turkey contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and turkey are high in calories. Beef has 50% more calories than turkey - beef has 277 calories in 100g and turkey has 189 calories.
Is beef or turkey better for protein?
Both beef and turkey are high in protein. Turkey has 10% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and turkey has 28.6g of protein.
Does beef or turkey contain more potassium?
Both beef and turkey are high in potassium. Beef has 20% more potassium than turkey - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and turkey has 239mg of potassium.