Is Pork Healthier Than Beef?

Short answer: This compares roasted pork loin with lean-only beef top round roast. The cuts and trimming differ. Use the displayed fat and protein values rather than extrapolating to every pork or beef dish.

Selected foods: Pork loin, roasted, lean and fat and Beef top round roast, lean only. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	Beef	162 kcal vs 248 kcal per 100 g
More protein	Beef	30 g vs 27 g per 100 g
Most protein per calorie	Beef	19 g vs 11 g protein per 100 kcal
Less saturated fat	Beef	1.4 g vs 5.4 g per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	Beef	B vs C

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Pork	Beef
Calories	248 kcal	162 kcal
Protein	27 g	30 g
Fat	15 g	3.8 g
incl. saturated	5.4 g	1.4 g
Total carbohydrates	0 g	0 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0.1 g	0.2 g
Omega-3	—	3 mg EPA+DHA
Nutri-Score	C	B

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Pork	Beef
Calories	124 kcal	81 kcal
Protein	14 g	15 g
incl. saturated	2.7 g	0.7 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Pork	Beef
Serving	serving, 150 g (5.3 oz)	serving, 150 g (5.3 oz)
Calories	372 kcal	243 kcal
Protein	41 g	45 g
Saturated fat	8.1 g	2.1 g
Easy walking to burn it*	2 h 01 min	79 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sat. fat	Nutri-Score
Pork	248	27 g	5.4 g	C
Beef	162	30 g	1.4 g	B
Roast pork shoulder	275	22 g	7.3 g	D
Beef tenderloin steak	210	29 g	4 g	C
Beef steak	271	26 g	7 g	D

*Data and sources

Pork, fresh, loin, whole, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted — USDA FDC 167821 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Beef, round, top round roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, roasted — USDA FDC 174007 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, pork or beef?

Beef: 162 kcal vs 248 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 372 kcal for pork (serving, 150 g) and 243 kcal for beef (serving, 150 g).

Is pork or beef better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram, beef is the lighter pick (162 kcal vs 248 kcal per 100 g) and has more protein, which help you stay full. The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of pork (serving, 150 g) is 372 kcal, of beef (serving, 150 g) 243 kcal.

Which has more protein, pork or beef?

Beef: 30 g vs 27 g per 100 g. Per typical serving: 41 g for pork (serving, 150 g) and 45 g for beef (serving, 150 g). Per calorie, beef gives more protein: 19 g vs 11 g protein per 100 kcal.

Which is better for your heart, pork or beef?

On saturated fat, the nutrient heart-health guidelines ask us to limit, beef comes out ahead: 1.4 g vs 5.4 g per 100 g.

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.