Beef vs. Clams
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Clams
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
clams
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and clams:
- Both beef and clams are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
- Clam has more thiamin, riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, beef contains more Vitamin B6.
- Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and clams are high in calories. Beef has 87% more calories than clam - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and clam has 148 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to clams per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for clams, 73:15:13 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Clams | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 73% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 15% |
| Fat | 62% | 13% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beef has less carbohydrates than clam - clam has 5.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and clams are high in protein. Beef is very similar to beef for protein - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and clam has 97% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and clam has 0.19g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Clam has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Beef and clams contain similar amounts of cholesterol - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and clam has 67mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than beef - clam has 22.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 56 times more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and clam has 171ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and clams contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and clams contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Beef and clams contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Clam has more thiamin, riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, beef contains more Vitamin B6. Both beef and clams contain significant amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Beef | Clams | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.15 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.426 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 3.354 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.68 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.11 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 29 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | 98.89 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Clam is an excellent source of calcium and it has 163% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.
iron
Both beef and clams are high in iron. Clam has 25% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and clam has 2.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and clams are high in potassium. Clam has 128% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, beef has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than clam per 100 grams, however, clam contains more dha, epa and dpa than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Clams | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.008 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.146 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.138 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.104 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.396 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than clam per 100 grams.
| Beef | Clams | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.047 G | 0.082 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.032 G |
| Total | 0.437 G | 0.114 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.
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Clams g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does beef or clams contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and clams are high in calories. Beef has 90% more calories than clam - beef has 277 calories in 100g and clam has 148 calories.
Is beef or clams better for protein?
Both beef and clams are high in protein. Beef is very similar to beef for protein - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.
Does beef or clams contain more calcium?
Clam is a rich source of calcium and it has 160% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.
Does beef or clams contain more iron?
Both beef and clams are high in iron. Clam has 30% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and clam has 2.8mg of iron.
Does beef or clams contain more potassium?
Both beef and clams are high in potassium. Clam has 130% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.