Ground turkey vs Ground Beef: Nutrition comparison & Health impact

Price

Now which one is a cheaper protein? Ground turkey or ground beef 

By the global average, ground turkey is a cheaper food compared to ground beef. 

Taste and flavor

Turkey meat is leaner meat and has less fat. Ground turkey is comparatively milder in taste. Some people say that turkey meat is bland aswell. 

Culinary World

Ground meats are usually used in different recipes and dishes, such as burgers, sandwiches, etc. Ground turkey is used to make turkey burgers, turkey meatballs, and turkey-stuffed peppers, and ground beef is used in all types of beef burgers, tacos, taco pizzas, and so on.

Calories

Ground turkey is lower in calories compared to ground beef. Ground turkey contains 203 calories, and ground beef contains 241 calories. 

Fats

The fat contents of ground turkey are lower than that of ground beef. Ground turkey contains 10g of fats, and ground beef contains 15g of fats. 

Considering the different types of fats, ground turkey contains higher amounts of polyunsaturated fats, whereas ground beef contains higher amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fats. 

Below we can visualize their fat-type distributions

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Ground beef

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 6.073 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 7.322 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.408 g

Ground turkey

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 2.669 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 3.458 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.917 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat

+111.7%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-56.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+615%

Carbs

Their carb contents are negligible.

Protein

Ground turkey is richer in protein compared to ground beef. 

Ground turkey contains 27.4g of protein; ground beef contains 24g of protein. 

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Ground beef

2

Protein: 23.87 g

Fats: 15.37 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 58.37 g

Other: 2.39 g

Ground turkey

2

Protein: 27.37 g

Fats: 10.4 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 62.07 g

Other: 0.16 g

Contains more FatsFats	+47.8%
Contains more OtherOther	+1393.8%

Contains more ProteinProtein

+14.7%

~equal in Carbs ~0g

~equal in Water ~62.07g

Minerals

Ground turkey is richer in selenium, phosphorus, and copper. In comparison, ground beef is richer in zinc and iron.

Here we can visualize their mineral distributions.

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.

Ground beef

3

Ground turkey

6

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+17.9%
Contains more IronIron	+49.3%
Contains more ZincZinc	+87.8%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+76.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+22%
Contains more CopperCopper	+91.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+53%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+22.2%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+62.8%

~equal in Sodium ~78mg

Vitamins 

Ground turkey is richer in vitamins B2, B3, B5, and B6. In comparison, ground beef is richer in vitamin B12. 

Here we can visualize their vitamin distributions.

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.

Ground beef

2

Ground turkey

7

Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+85.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+777.8%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+51%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+23.4%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+133%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+103.5%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin E ~0.11mg

~equal in Folate ~7µg

~equal in Choline ~78.2mg

Cholesterol

Ground beef contains more cholesterol than ground turkey. It has 93 mg of cholesterol per 100 g, while ground turkey has 88 mg.

Anemias

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan

Ground beef is a richer source of vitamin B12 and iron. A diet with moderate red meat has decreased iron deficiency and vitamin B12 anemia risks. Here we must mention that iron derived from heme protein has a very high bioavailability and is efficiently absorbed. Ground beef has an advantage over ground turkey over anemias since it is richer in iron and vitamin B12. (1)(2) 

Muscle mass loss 

With old age comes sarcopenia, which is muscle mass loss due to normal physiological processes related to aging. However, a diet rich in red meat, such as ground beef, has been associated with lower risks of muscle mass loss in elderly people. This is mainly associated with decreased rates of muscle mass loss provided by ground beef by this reference. (3)

Zinc benefits

Zinc is a catalyst in several metabolic pathways in the body and is essential in immune and reproductive physiology. Zinc is an essential mineral that must be consumed in our diets, and ground beef is an excellent source of zinc compared to ground turkey. (4)

Calories and weight loss

Overall, ground turkey is lean meat; it's leaner than ground beef. Ground turkey is richer in proteins and has lower calories. It is a great food to be added to weight loss diets, even in healthy diets not focused on weight loss. (5)

Vitamin B6 benefits

Similar to the benefits of zinc in ground beef, ground turkey is richer in vitamin B6, a catalyst in multiple metabolic pathways, and essential in the body's physiological and biochemical maintenance. (6)

Infections

It is important not to eat ground beef and ground turkey raw and even medium rare states. Cook them well because they get mixed with all sorts of bacteria, especially E.coli, which causes severe diarrhea and diseases such as hemolytic uremic syndrome while getting ground. (7)

Heart health

Ground turkey is lower in total fats; to be more specific, ground turkey contains half the amount of fats compared to ground beef. This, in turn, can show that ground turkey is a better alternative to ground beef regarding heart health and a decrease in mortality rates from heart diseases. (8)

It is also worth mentioning that ground turkey is richer in polyunsaturated fats, and ground beef is richer in monounsaturated fats. However, the double amount of saturated fats in ground beef is more significant. 

Negative impacts

The culprit is processed red meats that cause significant health problems, and we need to differentiate between red meat and processed red meat. This article discusses some negative impacts of red meat that are based on dietary guidelines concerning the negative impacts of red meat.

Comparatively, ground turkey has a lower risk mortality rate than red meat consumption. In this article, you can read about turkey meat in depth.