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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% 4.2% 0% 6% 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 AVitamin A +∞%
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 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 Opinion
Calories 201kcal 218kcal Chicken thigh
Protein 33.68g 28.18g Beef shank
Fats 6.36g 10.3g Chicken thigh
Net carbs 0g 1.18g Chicken thigh
Carbs 0g 1.18g Chicken thigh
Cholesterol 78mg 102mg Beef shank
Vitamin D 8IU Chicken thigh
Magnesium 30mg 26mg Beef shank
Calcium 32mg 13mg Beef shank
Potassium 447mg 259mg Beef shank
Iron 3.86mg 1.46mg Beef shank
Copper 0.172mg 0.09mg Beef shank
Zinc 10.49mg 2.79mg Beef shank
Phosphorus 263mg 199mg Beef shank
Sodium 64mg 95mg Beef shank
Vitamin A 0IU 70IU Chicken thigh
Vitamin D 0.2µg Chicken thigh
Manganese 0.02mg 0.027mg Chicken thigh
Selenium 30µg 20.5µg Beef shank
Vitamin B1 0.14mg 0.088mg Beef shank
Vitamin B2 0.21mg 0.255mg Chicken thigh
Vitamin B3 5.89mg 7.12mg Chicken thigh
Vitamin B5 0.41mg 1.285mg Chicken thigh
Vitamin B6 0.37mg 0.38mg Chicken thigh
Vitamin B12 3.79µg 0.33µg Beef shank
Folate 10µg 9µg Beef shank
Saturated Fat 2.29g 2.78g Beef shank
Monounsaturated Fat 2.86g 3.82g Chicken thigh
Polyunsaturated fat 0.21g 2.43g Chicken thigh
Tryptophan 0.377mg 0.329mg Beef shank
Threonine 1.471mg 1.188mg Beef shank
Isoleucine 1.514mg 1.486mg Beef shank
Leucine 2.662mg 2.115mg Beef shank
Lysine 2.802mg 2.384mg Beef shank
Methionine 0.862mg 0.778mg Beef shank
Phenylalanine 1.315mg 1.121mg Beef shank
Valine 1.638mg 1.397mg Beef shank
Histidine 1.153mg 0.874mg Beef shank
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 0.01g Chicken thigh
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.05g Chicken thigh
Omega-3 - DPA 0g 0.03g Chicken thigh

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
34%
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.