Steak vs Ground Beef - Nutrition Comparison & Health Impact

Calories

Their caloric content is nearly similar. Steak has a slightly higher caloric content of 271 calories. In comparison, ground beef has 241 calories.

Carbs

Their carbohydrate content is negligible.

Fats

A ribeye steak is higher in fat compared to ground beef. It contains 19g of fat which are primarily monounsaturated fats. Ground beef contains 15.4g of fat, primarily monounsaturated fats. 

It is important to note that both these foods are high in saturated fats. Comparatively, steak contains higher amounts of saturated fats, and it contains 8.4g of saturated fats, compared to ground beef which contains 6g of saturated fats. 

Protein

Both are rich in protein. Steak contains 25g of protein, whereas ground beef contains 24g of protein. Their difference is not so significant. 

Red meat, in this case, steak and ground beef, are a great source of protein. 

This list displays foods that are categorized as foods rich in protein. 

Minerals

Red meat is packed with minerals. They are a good source of iron, copper, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium. Both are rich in these minerals. However, comparatively, steak is richer in selenium and zinc. The remaining minerals are almost similar, with some negligible differences. 

To better understand the mineral distribution, the diagram below displays the comparative distribution of their minerals. 

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.

Steak

4

Ground beef

2

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+35.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+15.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-20.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+66.5%

Contains more CalciumCalcium

+175%

~equal in Iron ~2.27mg

~equal in Copper ~0.079mg

~equal in Zinc ~5.84mg

~equal in Phosphorus ~166mg

Vitamins

Steak is richer in vitamins B2, B3, and B6. In addition, it is rich in vitamin B12. However, comparatively, ground beef is richer in vitamins B12 and B5.

The diagram below displays the comparative distribution of their vitamins

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.

Steak

6

Ground beef

6

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+177.8%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+45.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+76%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+27.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+60.8%

Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+13.2%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+81.3%
Contains more FolateFolate	+16.7%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

Infections

Steak can be eaten medium or rare; ground beef shouldn't be eaten like that. Burger patties are ground beef that shouldn't be eaten medium rare. This is mainly because ground beef gets mixed in the meat grinder and exposed to all sorts of bacteria and cross contaminants. One of the primary infections that come with uncooked meat that causes diarrhea is E Coli. One of the severe outcomes of this infection would be hemolytic uremic syndrome. Thus to reduce the risks of food-borne disease, you should always eat ground meat well done. (1) (2)

Anemia

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan

Vitamin B12 and iron are needed to produce healthy red blood cells. A deficiency in either would cause anemia. It is essential to have diets rich in these nutrients. Both are excellent sources of vitamin B12 and iron; ground beef is richer in vitamin B12. (3)

This paper aims to show that eliminating red meat from diets has adverse effects, one of which is iron deficiency anemia. (4) 

Red meat allergy and intolerance 

Intolerance is usually followed up after bariatric surgeries, which aim for weight loss. Several issues will arise with these surgeries, such as dumping syndrome and pancreatic juice not being exposed properly to food passing through the intestines, leading to intolerance due to indigestion. 

On the other hand, allergy is a different topic related to red meat. The person cannot eat red meat in case of allergy, but in case of intolerance, a small amount could be consumed without a problem. 

In detail, this article discusses the differences between red meat intolerance and allergy. 

Negative impacts of red meat

Red meat has several negative impacts when eaten in high amounts, and even sometimes, moderate amounts are associated with adverse health impacts. This article discusses red meat's negative impacts on metabolic and cardiovascular health.