Beef vs. Salmon

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Salmon


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

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

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

  • Both beef and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Beef has more folate.
  • Beef is a great source of iron.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than beef.
  • Salmon has 33.3 times less trans fat than beef.
  • Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and salmon 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 Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Salmon src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between beef and salmon. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and salmon are high in calories. Beef has 118% more calories than salmon - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much heavier in fat and similar to salmon for carbs. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for salmon, 67:0:33 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Salmon
Protein 38% 67%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 62% 33%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both beef and salmon are high in protein. Beef has 24% more protein than salmon - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and salmon has 89% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Salmon has 33.3 times less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.03g of trans fat.

cholesterol

Salmon has 48% less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Salmon has 10 times more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has 216 times more Vitamin D than beef - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Beef and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Beef Salmon
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.08 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.105 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 7.995 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 1.03 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.611 MG
Folate 11 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG 4.15 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 400% more calcium than salmon - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.

iron

Beef is a great source of iron and it has 492% more iron than salmon - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Both beef and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 33% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more DHA, EPA and DPA than beef per 100 grams. Both beef and salmon contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beef Salmon
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.047 G
DHA ~ 0.333 G
EPA ~ 0.182 G
DPA ~ 0.047 G
Total 0.056 G 0.609 G

omega 6s

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

Beef Salmon
other omega 6 ~ 0.004 G
linoleic acid 0.39 G 0.081 G
Total 0.39 G 0.085 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 Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) .

Cooked Beef g

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G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
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Vitamins and Minerals
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niacin (Vit B3)
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folate (Vit B9)
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protein
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biotin (Vit B7)
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choline
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chlorine
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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does beef or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and salmon are high in calories. Beef has 120% more calories than salmon - beef has 277 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.

Is beef or salmon better for protein?
Both beef and salmon are high in protein. Beef has 20% more protein than salmon - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Does beef or salmon contain more potassium?
Both beef and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 30% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.

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