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Beef vs. Pork leg — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between beef and pork leg

  • Beef is higher in vitamin B12, iron, vitamin B6, zinc, vitamin B2, phosphorus, and vitamin B3, yet pork leg is higher in vitamin B1 and selenium.
  • Beef covers your daily vitamin B12 needs 149% more than pork leg.
  • Beef contains 4 times more iron than pork leg. While beef contains 3.04mg of iron, pork leg contains only 0.85mg.
  • The amount of saturated fat in beef is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Beef, loin, tenderloin roast, separable lean only, boneless, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted and Pork, fresh, leg (ham), whole, separable lean and fat, raw.

Infographic

Beef vs Pork leg infographic
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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
6
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 10% 3.9% 31% 114% 32% 101% 111% 7% 1.2% 139%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 1.5% 28% 32% 22% 53% 85% 6.1% 3% 160%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +160%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +11.7%
Contains more IronIron +257.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +49.2%
Contains more ZincZinc +91.7%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +30.2%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +42.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -13%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +155.6%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +15.7%

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
8
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% 0.67% 5% 1.5% 19% 92% 108% 29% 154% 526% 4% 5.3% 41%
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 2.3% 0% 0% 7.5% 184% 46% 86% 41% 93% 79% 0% 5.3% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +100%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +25.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +66.8%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +568.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +400%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +894.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +42.4%
~equal in Folate ~7µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Beef
2
28% 7% 66%
Protein: 27.55 g
Fats: 6.54 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 65.71 g
Other: 0.2 g
17% 19% 62%
Protein: 17.43 g
Fats: 18.87 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 62.47 g
Other: 1.23 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +58.1%
Contains more FatsFats +188.5%
Contains more OtherOther +515%
~equal in Carbs ~0g
~equal in Water ~62.47g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Beef
1
44% 47% 9%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.595 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.734 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.532 g
39% 49% 12%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 6.54 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 8.38 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.01 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -60.3%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +206.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +277.8%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Beef Pork leg DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 4.21µg 0.63µg 149%
Vitamin B1 0.074mg 0.736mg 55%
Iron 3.04mg 0.85mg 27%
Vitamin B6 0.669mg 0.401mg 21%
Protein 27.55g 17.43g 20%
Fats 6.54g 18.87g 19%
Saturated fat 2.595g 6.54g 18%
Zinc 3.7mg 1.93mg 16%
Vitamin B2 0.4mg 0.2mg 15%
Monounsaturated fat 2.734g 8.38g 14%
Choline 75.6mg 14%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.532g 2.01g 10%
Phosphorus 259mg 199mg 9%
Selenium 25.4µg 29.4µg 7%
Vitamin B3 5.76mg 4.574mg 7%
Vitamin B5 0.481mg 0.685mg 4%
Calories 169kcal 245kcal 4%
Copper 0.097mg 0.065mg 4%
Cholesterol 85mg 73mg 4%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 0.5µg 2%
Vitamin E 0.25mg 2%
Vitamin D 3IU 20IU 2%
Manganese 0.009mg 0.023mg 1%
Potassium 352mg 315mg 1%
Calcium 13mg 5mg 1%
Vitamin K 1.6µg 1%
Magnesium 14mg 20mg 1%
Vitamin C 0mg 0.7mg 1%
Sodium 54mg 47mg 0%
Vitamin A 2µg 0µg 0%
Folate 7µg 7µg 0%
Trans fat 0.375g N/A
Tryptophan 0.359mg 0.208mg 0%
Threonine 1.534mg 0.776mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.52mg 0.787mg 0%
Leucine 2.833mg 1.376mg 0%
Lysine 3.178mg 1.55mg 0%
Methionine 0.871mg 0.444mg 0%
Phenylalanine 1.299mg 0.689mg 0%
Valine 1.603mg 0.931mg 0%
Histidine 1.244mg 0.659mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.002g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.002g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.013g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.011g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.017g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.002g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.349g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Beef Pork leg
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet Equal
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
76%
Beef
42%
Pork leg
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
55%
Beef
40%
Pork leg

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Pork leg
Pork leg is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 12mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pork leg
Pork leg is lower in Sugar (difference - 0g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pork leg
Pork leg contains less Sodium (difference - 7mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Beef
Beef is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 3.945g)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Beef
Beef is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Beef
Beef is relatively richer in vitamins
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 ($)

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. Pork leg - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168222/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.