Beef vs. Bacon

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Bacon


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked beef versus cooked bacon (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and bacon:

  • Both bacon and beef are high in calories and saturated fat.
  • Beef has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Beef has signficantly more calcium than bacon.
  • Beef is a great source of iron and potassium.
  • Beef is an excellent source of protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and bacon is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Bacon src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bacon and beef are high in calories. Bacon has 224% more calories than beef - bacon has 898 calories per 100 grams and beef has 277 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is much heavier in protein, much lighter in fat and similar to bacon for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for bacon, 0:0:100 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Bacon
Protein 38% ~
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 62% 100%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 361 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both bacon and beef are high in saturated fat. Bacon has 336% more saturated fat than beef - bacon has 32g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beef has 7.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Bacon has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Bacon and beef contain similar amounts of cholesterol - bacon has 97mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and beef has 88mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Bacon and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - bacon has 11ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Beef and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Beef and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Beef and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Beef has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Beef Bacon
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.004 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.015 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 0.725 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 0.007 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.005 MG
Folate 11 UG ~
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 0.09 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beef has signficantly more calcium than bacon - bacon has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 16 times more iron than bacon - bacon has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and beef has 2.3mg of iron.

potassium

Beef is a great source of potassium and it has 17 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium per 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, bacon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Bacon
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.476 G
Total 0.056 G 0.476 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bacon has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.

Beef Bacon
other omega 6 ~ 0.442 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 9.426 G
Total 0.39 G 9.868 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beef or Bacon .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) .

Cooked Beef g

()
Daily Values (%)

Cooked Bacon g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does bacon or beef contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bacon and beef are high in calories. Bacon has 220% more calories than beef - bacon has 898 calories in 100g and beef has 277 calories.

Is bacon or beef better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 361 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.