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Beef shank vs. Chicken thigh — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between beef shank and chicken thigh

  • Beef shank is higher in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, selenium, phosphorus, copper, and potassium, yet chicken thigh is higher in vitamin B5 and vitamin B3.
  • Beef shank covers your daily vitamin B12 needs 144% more than chicken thigh.
  • Beef shank contains 4 times more zinc than chicken thigh. While beef shank contains 10.49mg of zinc, chicken thigh contains only 2.79mg.
  • The amount of cholesterol in beef shank is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Beef, shank crosscuts, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, simmered and Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, cooked, fried.

Infographic

Beef shank vs Chicken thigh 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 21% 9.6% 39% 145% 57% 286% 113% 8.3% 2.6% 164%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 3.9% 23% 55% 30% 76% 85% 12% 3.5% 112%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +15.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +146.2%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +72.6%
Contains more IronIron +164.4%
Contains more CopperCopper +91.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +276%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +32.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -32.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +46.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +35%

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.
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 0% 35% 48% 110% 25% 85% 474% 0% 7.5% 0%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 3% 22% 59% 134% 77% 88% 41% 0% 6.8% 0%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +59.1%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +1048.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +21.4%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +20.9%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +213.4%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~µg
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.38mg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Folate ~9µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
34% 6% 58% 2%
Protein: 33.68 g
Fats: 6.36 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 58.21 g
Other: 1.75 g
28% 10% 59%
Protein: 28.18 g
Fats: 10.3 g
Carbs: 1.18 g
Water: 59.31 g
Other: 1.03 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +19.5%
Contains more OtherOther +69.9%
Contains more FatsFats +61.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +∞%
~equal in Water ~59.31g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
43% 53% 4%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.29 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.86 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.21 g
31% 42% 27%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.78 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 3.82 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.43 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -17.6%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +33.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1057.1%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Beef shank Chicken thigh DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 3.79µg 0.33µg 144%
Zinc 10.49mg 2.79mg 70%
Iron 3.86mg 1.46mg 30%
Vitamin B5 0.41mg 1.285mg 18%
Selenium 30µg 20.5µg 17%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.21g 2.43g 15%
Protein 33.68g 28.18g 11%
Copper 0.172mg 0.09mg 9%
Phosphorus 263mg 199mg 9%
Vitamin B3 5.89mg 7.12mg 8%
Cholesterol 78mg 102mg 8%
Potassium 447mg 259mg 6%
Fats 6.36g 10.3g 6%
Vitamin B1 0.14mg 0.088mg 4%
Vitamin B2 0.21mg 0.255mg 3%
Calcium 32mg 13mg 2%
Saturated fat 2.29g 2.78g 2%
Monounsaturated fat 2.86g 3.82g 2%
Vitamin B6 0.37mg 0.38mg 1%
Calories 201kcal 218kcal 1%
Vitamin D 0.2µg 1%
Sodium 64mg 95mg 1%
Magnesium 30mg 26mg 1%
Vitamin D 8IU 1%
Carbs 0g 1.18g 0%
Net carbs 0g 1.18g N/A
Manganese 0.02mg 0.027mg 0%
Folate 10µg 9µg 0%
Tryptophan 0.377mg 0.329mg 0%
Threonine 1.471mg 1.188mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.514mg 1.486mg 0%
Leucine 2.662mg 2.115mg 0%
Lysine 2.802mg 2.384mg 0%
Methionine 0.862mg 0.778mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.315mg 1.121mg 0%
Valine 1.638mg 1.397mg 0%
Histidine 1.153mg 0.874mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 0.01g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.05g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0g 0.03g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Beef shank Chicken thigh
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
60%
Beef shank
33%
Chicken thigh
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
85%
Beef shank
42%
Chicken thigh

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Beef shank
Beef shank is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 24mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Beef shank
Beef shank contains less Sodium (difference - 31mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Beef shank
Beef shank is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.49g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Beef shank
Beef shank is relatively richer in minerals
Which food contains less Sugar?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sugar ( g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (0)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
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 shank - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169442/nutrients
  2. Chicken thigh - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172387/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.