Ground beef vs ham: which is healthier?
Ground beef is more nutrient-dense, scoring 29/100 against 22/100 for ham. Both can be part of a healthy diet; the table below shows where each one is stronger. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Ground beef
256 kcal per 100 g. 3 oz cooked: 85 g
Higher scoreHam
164 kcal per 100 g. 2 slices: 56 g
Which to pick for your goal
- Fewer caloriesHam256 vs 164 kcal per 100 g
- More proteinGround beef28 vs 17 g per 100 g
- More fiberHam0 vs 1.3 g per 100 g
- Less sugarGround beef0 vs 1 g per 100 g
- More potassiumGround beef407 vs 287 mg per 100 g
- Less saturated fatHam5.8 vs 0.5 g per 100 g
Nutrition side by side
| Nutrient | Ground beef, 100 g | Ham, 100 g | Ground beef, 85 g | Ham, 56 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 256 kcal | 164 kcal | 218 kcal | 92 kcal |
| Protein | 28 g | 17 g | 24 g | 9.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g | 3.6 g | 0 g | 2 g |
| Sugars | 0 g | 1 g | 0 g | 0.6 g |
| Fiber | 0 g | 1.3 g | 0 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 15 g | 8.8 g | 13 g | 4.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 5.8 g | 0.5 g | 4.9 g | 0.3 g |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 4 mg | 0 mg | 2.2 mg |
| Vitamin A | 3 µg | 0 µg | 2.5 µg | 0 µg |
| Potassium | 407 mg | 287 mg | 346 mg | 161 mg |
| Iron | 2.9 mg | 1 mg | 2.5 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Calcium | 22 mg | 24 mg | 19 mg | 13 mg |
| Magnesium | 25 mg | 22 mg | 21 mg | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 89 mg | 814 mg | 76 mg | 456 mg |
Last updated . Scores use the HowHealthyIs Score method.