Beef vs Pork vs Chicken: Which meat is best

ByEditorial Team Posted on19/10/202203/02/2023 Updated on03/02/2023

Beef vs Pork vs Chicken

Beef, pork, and chicken are all popular types of meat. But which one is the best? In this Beef vs Pork vs Chicken article we’re going to compare the nutrients in these three meats ,extract the key takeaways and conclude on which meat is the best.

Beef vs Pork vs Chicken Nutrient Comparison

For our comparison to be as accurate as possible, we’re going to use lean beef ground 80% and fat 20%, pork tenderloin, and skinless chicken breast.
All Nutrient data are for 100gr of ground meat.
Nutrient data for this listing was provided by USDA SR-21 (USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference).
Sources: Beef, Pork, Chicken

General

	Beef*	Pork*	Chicken*
Calories	254 Kcal	218 kcal	143 kcal
Protein	17.2 g	18 g	17.4 g
Carbohydrates	0 g	0.44 g	0.04 g
Fat	20 g	16 g	8.1 g
Cholesterol	71 mg	68 mg	86 mg

*Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw, Pork, ground, 84% lean / 16% fat, raw and Chicken, ground , raw.

Vitamins

	Beef*	Pork*	Chicken*
Vitamin A	14 IU	0 IU	0 IU
Vitamin C	0 mg	0 mg	0 mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	0.1 µg	0.4 µg	0 µg
Vitamin E	0.17 mg	0.45 mg	0.27 mg
Vitamin K	1.8 µg	0 µg	0.8 µg
Thiamin	0.043 mg	0.332 mg	0.109 mg
Riboflavin	0.151 mg	0.338 mg	0.241 mg
Niacin	4.23 mg	6.42 mg	5.58 mg
Folate	7 µg	2 µg	1 µg
Vitamin B12	2.14 µg	0.73 µg	0.56 µg
Pantothenic Acid	0.498 mg	0.639 mg	1.09 mg
Vitamin B6	0.323 mg	0.551 mg	0.512 mg
Choline	56.4 mg	61.5 mg	58.8 mg
Betaine	8.2 mg	5.5 mg	7.7 mg

*Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw, Pork, ground, 84% lean / 16% fat, raw and Chicken, ground , raw.

Minerals

	Beef*	Pork*	Chicken*
Calcium, Ca	18 mg	15 mg	6 mg
Iron, Fe	1.94 mg	0.88 mg	0.82 mg
Magnesium, Mg	17 mg	16 mg	21 mg
Phosphorus, P	158 mg	161 mg	178 mg
Potassium, K	270 mg	244 mg	522 mg
Sodium, Na	66 mg	68 mg	60 mg
Zinc, Zn	4.18 mg	1.91 mg	1.47 mg
Copper, Cu	0.061 mg	0.032 mg	0.065 mg
Manganese, Mn	0.01 mg	0.01 mg	0.016 mg
Selenium, Se	15 µg	30.2 µg	10.2 µg

*Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw, Pork, ground, 84% lean / 16% fat, raw and Chicken, ground , raw.

Key Takeaways

Pork has slightly more vitamins than Beef. Beef has significantly more Vitamin K and Folate than pork.
Both pork and beef have the same amount of minerals. Big differences are noted in Selenium where pork has double than beef. On the other hand, beef has more than double Zinc and Iron than pork.
Beef has significantly more iron, zinc and calcium than chicken.
Although chicken has less calories, less fat and more protein than beef and pork, it does have more cholesterol.
Chicken has more Potassium, more Phosphorus and more Magnesium than beef and pork. All other minerals though are less than pork and beef (not significantly less though).
All types of meat don’t have Vitamin C.
Chicken has significantly more Pantothenic acid than Pork and Beef.
Beef is the king of Folate with 7X more than chicken and 3.5X more than pork.

Pros & Cons of each meat

Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each type of meat:

Beef

Beef is a good source of protein, iron, and B vitamins.
It’s also relatively lean, meaning it has less fat than other types of meat.
Beef is packed with Zinc which is good for men libido as well as with iron which is essential for women.

Beef can be expensive
It is not as widely available as chicken or pork.

Pork

Pork is a good source of protein and B vitamins. It’s also relatively lean, like beef.
Pork is also a cheap option for meat consumption.

Pork can be fatty, and it’s not as widely available as chicken.
Also, pork is consider by many as an “unhealthy” meat due to its high fat content and toxins.

Chicken

Chicken is a good source of protein and B vitamins.
It is relatively low in fat and high in protein.
It is cheap and widely available.

Chicken can be high in cholesterol, and it’s not as flavorful as beef or pork.
Chicken can be bland, and it’s often overcooked.

Final Take

When it comes to nutrition, all three meats are similar. They are all a good source of protein and contain a range of other nutrients.

However, there are some differences in the fat content of these meats. Beef is higher in saturated fat than pork or chicken. Pork is also higher in saturated fat than chicken.

When it comes to taste, all three meats have their own unique flavors. Beef has a rich, hearty flavor that is perfect for savory dishes.

Pork has a milder flavor that goes well with sweet or savory dishes. Chicken has a versatile flavor that goes well with almost anything.

So, which meat is best? It depends on your personal preferences. If you’re looking for a lean, protein-packed meat, then beef or pork is a good option. If you’re looking for a meat that’s widely available and relatively low in fat, then chicken is a good choice.

It all depends on your needs and preferences. So, choose the meat that you think tastes the best and fits your budget. There is no wrong answer when it comes to this debate.

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Editorial Team

FoodNurish's editorial team thoroughly examines the content published by our authors for inconsistencies. It strives to back every claim made in the content with research papers and scientific evidence. If for any reason you may feel that there are inconsistencies or updated data on any topic, feel free to contact us and we will examine your feedback.

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