Is Pork Healthier Than Beef?

Short answer: It depends on the cut; with lean roasts they're close. Roast pork loin has slightly more fat and saturated fat than a lean beef roast, while beef carries more iron and zinc and pork more thiamine. Choose lean cuts of either and keep processed versions (bacon, sausages) occasional.

Nutrition side by side

Per 100 g	Pork	Beef
Calories	236 kcal	210 kcal
Protein	27 g	28 g
Fat	14 g	11 g
incl. saturated	5.2 g	4.2 g
Carbohydrates	0 g	0 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0.5 g	0.5 g
Nutri-Score	C	C

Rounded averages from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) for the foods as eaten; brands and recipes vary.

Which wins, and when

Less energy: Beef — 26 kcal less per 100 g than pork.
Less saturated fat: Beef — 1 g less per 100 g than pork.

In short: for fewer calories or less saturated fat, look at the “less” lines; for staying full longer, protein and fiber matter most. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.

Portion tips

Pork: a typical serving (serving, 150 g) is 354 kcal — about 1 h 56 min of easy walking for a 70 kg (154 lb) person.
Beef: a typical serving (serving, 150 g) is 315 kcal — about 1 h 43 min of easy walking.

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.

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.