Beef vs. Milk

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Milk


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

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

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

  • Beef has more niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Beef is a great source of iron and potassium.
  • Beef is an excellent source of protein.
  • Milk has 10 times less cholesterol than beef.
  • Milk has 12.7 times less trans fat than beef.
  • Milk is an excellent source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and milk 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 Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Milk src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Beef is high in calories and milk has 82% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and milk has 50 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to milk per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for milk, 27:38:35 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Milk
Protein 38% 27%
Carbohydrates ~ 38%
Fat 62% 35%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both milk and beef are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Beef has less sugar than milk - milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 669% more protein than milk - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and milk has 83% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and milk has 1.3g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Milk has 12.7 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and milk has 0.09g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Milk has 10 times less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and milk has 8mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Milk and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Milk has 17 times more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and milk has 55ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Milk has 23 times more Vitamin D than beef - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and milk has 49iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Beef and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and milk contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Beef has more niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12. Both beef and milk contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Beef Milk
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.039 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.185 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 0.092 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 0.356 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.038 MG
Folate 11 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 0.53 UG

Minerals

calcium

Milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 243% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 111 times more iron than milk - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and milk has 0.02mg of iron.

potassium

Beef is a great source of potassium and it has 96% more potassium than milk - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and milk has 140mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Beef Milk
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.008 G
Total 0.056 G 0.008 G

omega 6s

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

Beef Milk
other omega 6 0.013 G 0.004 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 0.062 G
Total 0.403 G 0.066 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) .

Cooked Beef g

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G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
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niacin (Vit B3)
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protein
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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does beef or milk contain more calories in 100 grams?
Beef is high in calories and milk has 80% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories in 100g and milk has 50 calories.

Is beef or milk better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 670% more protein than milk - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and milk has 3.3g of protein.

Does milk or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both milk and beef are low in carbohydrates - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..

Does beef or milk contain more calcium?
Milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and milk has 120mg of calcium.