Bison vs. Venison

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Bison and Cooked Venison

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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bison and venison:

  • Both bison and venison are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Venison has more thiamin and niacin.
Detailed nutritional comparison of bison and venison 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: Bison (Game meat, bison, separable lean only, cooked, roasted) and Venison (Venison/deer steak, cooked, NS as to cooking method) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Bison src
Image of Venison src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bison and venison are high in calories. Bison is very similar to bison for calories - bison has 143 calories per 100 grams and venison has 150 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, bison is similar to venison for protein, carbs and fat. Bison has a macronutrient ratio of 84:0:16 and for venison, 84:0:16 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Bison Venison
Protein 84% 84%
Carbohydrates ~ ~
Fat 16% 16%
Alcohol ~ ~

Protein

protein

Both bison and venison are high in protein. Bison is very similar to bison for protein - bison has 28.4g of protein per 100 grams and venison has 29.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Bison and venison contain similar amounts of saturated fat - bison has 0.91g of saturated fat per 100 grams and venison has 1.4g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Bison and venison contain similar amounts of cholesterol - bison has 82mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and venison has 78mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin E

Bison and venison contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bison has 0.36mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and venison has 0.61mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Bison and venison contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bison has 1.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and venison has 1.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Venison has more thiamin and niacin. Both bison and venison contain significant amounts of riboflavin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.

Bison Venison
Thiamin 0.1 MG 0.276 MG
Riboflavin 0.27 MG 0.506 MG
Niacin 3.71 MG 10.613 MG
Vitamin B6 0.4 MG 0.746 MG
Folate 8 UG 9 UG
Vitamin B12 2.86 UG 1.8 UG

Minerals

calcium

Bison and venison contain similar amounts of calcium - bison has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and venison has 6mg of calcium.

iron

Both bison and venison are high in iron. Venison has 18% more iron than bison - bison has 3.4mg of iron per 100 grams and venison has 4mg of iron.

potassium

Both bison and venison are high in potassium. Bison is very similar to bison for potassium - bison has 361mg of potassium per 100 grams and venison has 393mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both bison and venison contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Bison Venison
alpha linoleic acid 0.04 G 0.044 G
Total 0.04 G 0.044 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bison and venison contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Bison Venison
linoleic acid 0.14 G 0.115 G
other omega 6 0.07 G 0.026 G
Total 0.21 G 0.141 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: Bison (Game meat, bison, separable lean only, cooked, roasted) and Venison (Venison/deer steak, cooked, NS as to cooking method) .

Cooked Bison 340g

( piece, cooked )
Daily Values (%)

Cooked Venison 454g

( lb, 1 pound, boneless cooked )
486KCAL 24%
calories 40%
680KCAL 34%
8.2G 13%
total fat 46%
12G 19%
3.1G 17%
saturated fat 110%
6.5G 36%
3.2G 10% monounsaturated fat 2.9G
0.82G polyunsaturated fat 2% 0.84G
279MG cholesterol 27% 354MG
194MG 13%
sodium >999%
2159MG 144%
Vitamins and Minerals
27MG 3%
calcium
27MG 3%
12MG 65%
iron 50%
18MG 102%
88MG 29%
magnesium 55%
136MG 44%
1227MG 53%
potassium 45%
1783MG 78%
0.34MG 31%
thiamin (Vit B1) 282%
1.3MG 114%
0.92MG 84%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 150%
2.3MG 209%
13MG 90%
niacin (Vit B3) 269%
48MG 344%
1.4MG 105%
Vitamin B6 143%
3.4MG 260%
27UG 7%
folate (Vit B9) 52%
41UG 10%
9.7UG 405%
18% Vitamin B12
8.2UG 340%
1.2MG 8%
Vitamin E 133%
2.8MG 18%
4.4UG 5%
Vitamin K 23%
5.4UG 6%
97G 193%
protein 39%
135G 270%
390MG 92%
choline 30%
506MG 119%
0.36MG 30%
copper 178%
1MG 85%
0.03MG 2%
>999% manganese
711MG 102%
phosphorus 74%
1238MG 177%
121UG 220%
105% selenium
59UG 108%
13MG 156%
zinc 23%
16MG 203%
226G Water 33% 300G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): carbohydrates, Starch, Alcohol, dietary fiber, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (Vit B5), biotin (Vit B7), trans fat, sugar.

FAQ

Does bison or venison contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bison and venison are high in calories. Bison is quite similar to bison for calories - bison has 143 calories in 100g and venison has 150 calories.

Is bison or venison better for protein?
Both bison and venison are high in protein. Bison is very similar to bison for protein - bison has 28.4g of protein per 100 grams and venison has 29.8g of protein.

Does bison or venison contain more iron?
Both bison and venison are high in iron. Venison has 20% more iron than bison - bison has 3.4mg of iron in 100 grams and venison has 4mg of iron.

Does bison or venison contain more potassium?
Both bison and venison are high in potassium. Bison is very similar to bison for potassium - bison has 361mg of potassium in 100 grams and venison has 393mg of potassium.