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Beef vs. Lamb — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are Beef and Lamb different?

  • Beef is higher in Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6, Iron, Vitamin B2, and Phosphorus, however, Lamb is richer in Zinc, and Vitamin B3.
  • Daily need coverage for Vitamin B12 from Beef is 69% higher.
  • Beef contains 5 times more Vitamin B6 than Lamb. While Beef contains 0.669mg of Vitamin B6, Lamb contains only 0.13mg.
  • Beef has less Saturated Fat.

Beef, loin, tenderloin roast, separable lean only, boneless, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted and Lamb, domestic, composite of trimmed retail cuts, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Beef vs Lamb infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Beef
Beef
4
:
6
Lamb
Lamb
Contains more Iron +61.7%
Contains more Phosphorus +37.8%
Contains more Potassium +13.5%
Contains less Sodium -25%
Contains more Calcium +30.8%
Contains more Magnesium +64.3%
Contains more Zinc +20.5%
Contains more Copper +22.7%
Contains more Manganese +144.4%
Equal in Selenium - 26.4
Beef
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 4% 114% 10% 111% 32% 8% 101% 33% 2% 139%
Lamb
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 71% 17% 81% 28% 10% 122% 40% 3% 144%
Contains more Iron +61.7%
Contains more Phosphorus +37.8%
Contains more Potassium +13.5%
Contains less Sodium -25%
Contains more Calcium +30.8%
Contains more Magnesium +64.3%
Contains more Zinc +20.5%
Contains more Copper +22.7%
Contains more Manganese +144.4%
Equal in Selenium - 26.4

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Beef
Beef
5
:
5
Lamb
Lamb
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +78.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +60%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +414.6%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +65.1%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +35.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +15.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +37.2%
Contains more Folate +157.1%
Contains more Vitamin K +187.5%
Equal in Vitamin D - 0.1
Beef
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 5% 3% 0% 19% 93% 108% 29% 155% 6% 527% 4%
Lamb
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 3% 3% 0% 25% 58% 125% 40% 30% 14% 319% 12%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +78.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +60%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +414.6%
Contains more Vitamin B12 +65.1%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +35.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +15.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +37.2%
Contains more Folate +157.1%
Contains more Vitamin K +187.5%
Equal in Vitamin D - 0.1

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Beef
Beef
2
:
2
Lamb
Lamb
Contains more Protein +12.4%
Contains more Water +22.3%
Contains more Fats +220.2%
Contains more Other +310%
Beef
28% 7% 66%
Protein: 27.55 g
Fats: 6.54 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 65.71 g
Other: 0.2 g
Lamb
25% 21% 54%
Protein: 24.52 g
Fats: 20.94 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 53.72 g
Other: 0.82 g
Contains more Protein +12.4%
Contains more Water +22.3%
Contains more Fats +220.2%
Contains more Other +310%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Beef
Beef
1
:
2
Lamb
Lamb
Contains less Saturated Fat -70.6%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +222.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +183.8%
Beef
44% 47% 9%
Saturated Fat: 2.595 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 2.734 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.532 g
Lamb
46% 46% 8%
Saturated Fat: 8.83 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 8.82 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.51 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -70.6%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +222.6%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +183.8%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Beef Lamb
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar Equal
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Beef Lamb Opinion
Protein 27.55g 24.52g Beef
Fats 6.54g 20.94g Lamb
Calories 169kcal 294kcal Lamb
Calcium 13mg 17mg Lamb
Iron 3.04mg 1.88mg Beef
Magnesium 14mg 23mg Lamb
Phosphorus 259mg 188mg Beef
Potassium 352mg 310mg Beef
Sodium 54mg 72mg Beef
Zinc 3.7mg 4.46mg Lamb
Copper 0.097mg 0.119mg Lamb
Manganese 0.009mg 0.022mg Lamb
Selenium 25.4µg 26.4µg Lamb
Vitamin A 6IU 0IU Beef
Vitamin A RAE 2µg 0µg Beef
Vitamin E 0.25mg 0.14mg Beef
Vitamin D 3IU 2IU Beef
Vitamin D 0.1µg 0.1µg
Vitamin B1 0.074mg 0.1mg Lamb
Vitamin B2 0.4mg 0.25mg Beef
Vitamin B3 5.76mg 6.66mg Lamb
Vitamin B5 0.481mg 0.66mg Lamb
Vitamin B6 0.669mg 0.13mg Beef
Folate 7µg 18µg Lamb
Vitamin B12 4.21µg 2.55µg Beef
Vitamin K 1.6µg 4.6µg Lamb
Tryptophan 0.359mg 0.287mg Beef
Threonine 1.534mg 1.05mg Beef
Isoleucine 1.52mg 1.183mg Beef
Leucine 2.833mg 1.908mg Beef
Lysine 3.178mg 2.166mg Beef
Methionine 0.871mg 0.629mg Beef
Phenylalanine 1.299mg 0.998mg Beef
Valine 1.603mg 1.323mg Beef
Histidine 1.244mg 0.777mg Beef
Cholesterol 85mg 97mg Beef
Trans Fat 0.375g Lamb
Saturated Fat 2.595g 8.83g Beef
Omega-3 - DHA 0.002g 0g Beef
Omega-3 - EPA 0.002g 0g Beef
Omega-3 - DPA 0.011g 0g Beef
Monounsaturated Fat 2.734g 8.82g Lamb
Polyunsaturated fat 0.532g 1.51g Lamb
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.002g Beef
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.349g Beef
Omega-3 - ALA 0.013g Beef
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.017g Beef

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Beef Lamb
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet Equal
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
79%
Beef
52%
Lamb
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
55%
Beef
52%
Lamb

Comparison summary

Which food is richer in minerals?
Lamb
Lamb is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Sodium?
Beef
Beef contains less Sodium (difference - 18mg)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Beef
Beef is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 12mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Beef
Beef is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 6.235g)
Which food is cheaper?
Beef
Beef is cheaper (difference - $2.3)
Which food contains less Sugar?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sugar (0 g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (0)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Beef - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174006/nutrients
  2. Lamb - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172480/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.