Beef vs. Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Tofu
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and tofu:
- Both beef and tofu are high in iron and protein.
- Beef has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Beef is a great source of potassium.
- Tofu is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beef is high in calories and tofu has 73% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to tofu for protein. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 9% |
| Fat | 62% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both tofu and beef are low in carbohydrates - tofu has 1.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Tofu has more dietary fiber than beef - tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Tofu and beef contain similar amounts of sugar - tofu has 0.62g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and tofu are high in protein. Beef has 214% more protein than tofu - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and tofu has 91% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Tofu has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Tofu has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tofu and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Beef and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Beef and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both beef and tofu contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.
| Beef | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.081 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.068 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 15 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and it has 900% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Both beef and tofu are high in iron. Tofu has 138% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Beef is a great source of potassium and it has 127% more potassium than tofu - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.319 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.319 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 2.38 G |
| Total | 0.402 G | 2.38 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 (%) |
Tofu 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 tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Beef is high in calories and tofu has 70% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is beef or tofu better for protein?
Both beef and tofu are high in protein. Beef has 210% more protein than tofu - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does beef or tofu contain more calcium?
Tofu is a rich source of calcium and it has 900% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does beef or tofu contain more iron?
Both beef and tofu are high in iron. Tofu has 140% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.