Nutrient Profile

Packed with 14 essential nutrients, lean beef is a nutritious choice for a healthy diet. It is an excellent source of high-quality protein, one of the richest food sources of highly absorbable heme iron, and one of nature’s best sources of zinc and vitamin B12.

The table below shows the amounts of key nutrients found in 100 grams of cooked, lean only beef.

Key Nutrients Found in 100 grams of Cooked, Lean Only Beef
Energy and Nutrients Amount
Energy 213 Cal
Protein 34.6 g
Carbohydrate < 1 g
Total fat 8.8 g
Saturates 3.6 g
Monounsaturates 4.1 g
Polyunsaturates 0.40 g
Trans 0.28 g
Cholesterol 82.4 mg
Calcium 10 mg
Iron 3.3 mg
Magnesium 26 mg
Phosphorus 207 mg
Potassium 294 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Zinc 8.6 mg
Selenium* 27 µg
Niacin 14 NE
Pantothenate 1.0 mg
Riboflavin 0.32 mg
Thiamine 0.07 mg
Vitamin B6 0.27 mg
Vitamin B12 2.6 µg
Vitamin D* 0.79 µg


* Selenium and Vitamin D were not included in the analyses; these values are from the 2005 Canadian Nutrient File.

   
Legend

These key nutrients are found in 100g cooked, lean only Canadian beef based on composite nutrient values.

Excellent Source
Good Source
Source

 

Want to know more?
For more information on nutrients in beef, check out What’s in Beef? or download The Nutrient Value of Canadian Beef (PDF 360KB).

Good to Know
The Naturally Nutrient Rich Score (NNR score) is a nutrients to calorie ratio which is used to identify healthy foods from healthy diets. Fourteen nutrients – protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, potassium and zinc – are used to determine the NNR score. Red meat, specifically lean beef, is an excellent source of five of these nutrients.

Drewnowski A. Concept of a nutritious food: toward a nutrient density score. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;82:721-32.