Beef vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and spirulina:
- Both beef and spirulina are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
- Beef has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than beef.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and spirulina are high in calories. Beef is very similar to beef for calories - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 25% |
| Fat | 62% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beef has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Beef has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 126% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and spirulina has 64% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Spirulina has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Spirulina has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than beef - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has 867% more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and spirulina contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 40 times more Vitamin E than beef - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 750% more Vitamin K than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, beef contains more Vitamin B12. Both beef and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 243% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both beef and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 11 times more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 396% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.402 G | 1.254 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 (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and spirulina are high in calories. Beef is quite similar to beef for calories - beef has 277 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is beef or spirulina better for protein?
Both beef and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 130% more protein than beef - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does beef or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does beef or spirulina contain more iron?
Both beef and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 11 times more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does beef or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both beef and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 400% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.