Ground beef (85% lean) nutrition facts

Ground beef (3 oz, 85 g) has 212 calories, 22 g protein, 0 g fiber, 13.1 g fat. It is an excellent source of vitamin B12 (94% DV), zinc (49% DV), protein (44% DV) and a good source of vitamin B6 and phosphorus.

Vitamin B12 94% DV Zinc 49% DV Protein 44% DV Selenium 33% DV Niacin 29% DV

Nutrition Facts

Serving size3 oz (85 g)

Calories212

Total Fat 13.1g17%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Trans Fat 0.49g

Cholesterol 75mg25%

Sodium 61mg2.7%

Total Carbohydrate 0g0%

Dietary Fiber 0g0%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin D 0µg0%

Calcium 15mg1.2%

Iron 2.2mg12%

Potassium 270mg5.8%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values from USDA FoodData Central; label rounding rules are not applied.

Calorie breakdown

■ Protein 43%
■ Fat 57%
■ Carbohydrate 0%

Share of calories by the 4-9-4 Atwater factors; the centre shows USDA's calorie value.

Scores

Nutrient density (NRF9.3)

Nine nutrients to encourage minus three to limit, per 100 kcal. Whole foods range from about −60 to 600; leafy greens score highest.

3.7

Inflammatory profile pro-inflammatory profile

Lower is more anti-inflammatory. Percentile 94 among 1,677 whole foods, from Dietary Inflammatory Index weights applied to this food's nutrients per 100 kcal.

All nutrients in ground beef

Nutrient	Per 3 oz	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	212 kcal	11%
Protein	22 g	44%
Total fat	13.1 g	17%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	5 g	25%
Trans fat	0.49 g	no DV
Monounsaturated fat	5.7 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	0.4 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	0.04 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	0.31 g	no DV
Cholesterol	75 mg	25%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.04 mg	3.3%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.15 mg	12%
Niacin (B3)	4.6 mg	29%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.56 mg	11%
Vitamin B6	0.32 mg	19%
Folate (DFE)	8 µg	1.9%
Vitamin B12	2.24 µg	94%
Vitamin A (RAE)	3 µg	0.3%
Vitamin E	0.1 mg	0.7%
Vitamin D	0 µg	0%
Vitamin K	1 µg	0.9%
Choline	70 mg	13%
Minerals
Sodium	61 mg	2.7%
Calcium	15 mg	1.2%
Iron	2.2 mg	12%
Magnesium	18 mg	4.2%
Phosphorus	168 mg	13%
Potassium	270 mg	5.8%
Zinc	5.4 mg	49%
Copper	0.07 mg	8%
Manganese	0.01 mg	0.4%
Selenium	18.3 µg	33%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	49 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.08 g	no DV
Threonine	0.612 g	no DV
Isoleucine	0.699 g	no DV
Leucine	1.232 g	no DV
Lysine	1.309 g	no DV
Methionine	0.406 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.616 g	no DV
Valine	0.777 g	no DV
Histidine	0.513 g	no DV

Nutrient	Per 100 g	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	250 kcal	12%
Protein	25.9 g	52%
Total fat	15.4 g	20%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	5.9 g	29%
Trans fat	0.57 g	no DV
Monounsaturated fat	6.7 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	0.5 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	0.05 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	0.36 g	no DV
Cholesterol	88 mg	29%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.05 mg	3.8%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.18 mg	14%
Niacin (B3)	5.4 mg	34%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.66 mg	13%
Vitamin B6	0.38 mg	22%
Folate (DFE)	9 µg	2.2%
Vitamin B12	2.64 µg	110%
Vitamin A (RAE)	3 µg	0.3%
Vitamin E	0.12 mg	0.8%
Vitamin D	0 µg	0%
Vitamin K	1.2 µg	1%
Choline	82 mg	15%
Minerals
Sodium	72 mg	3.1%
Calcium	18 mg	1.4%
Iron	2.6 mg	14%
Magnesium	21 mg	5%
Phosphorus	198 mg	16%
Potassium	318 mg	6.8%
Zinc	6.3 mg	57%
Copper	0.09 mg	9.4%
Manganese	0.01 mg	0.5%
Selenium	21.5 µg	39%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	58 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.094 g	no DV
Threonine	0.72 g	no DV
Isoleucine	0.822 g	no DV
Leucine	1.45 g	no DV
Lysine	1.54 g	no DV
Methionine	0.478 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.725 g	no DV
Valine	0.914 g	no DV
Histidine	0.604 g	no DV

Nutrient	Per 1 oz (28 g)	% Daily Value
Macronutrients
Calories	71 kcal	3.5%
Protein	7.4 g	15%
Total fat	4.4 g	5.6%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fiber	0 g	0%
Sugars	0 g	no DV
Fats
Saturated fat	1.7 g	8.4%
Trans fat	0.16 g	no DV
Monounsaturated fat	1.9 g	no DV
Polyunsaturated fat	0.1 g	no DV
Omega-3 (ALA+EPA+DHA)	0.01 g	no DV
Omega-6 (linoleic)	0.1 g	no DV
Cholesterol	25 mg	8.3%
Vitamins
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Thiamin (B1)	0.01 mg	1.1%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.05 mg	3.8%
Niacin (B3)	1.5 mg	9.5%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.19 mg	3.7%
Vitamin B6	0.11 mg	6.4%
Folate (DFE)	3 µg	0.6%
Vitamin B12	0.75 µg	31%
Vitamin A (RAE)	1 µg	0.1%
Vitamin E	0.03 mg	0.2%
Vitamin D	0 µg	0%
Vitamin K	0.3 µg	0.3%
Choline	23 mg	4.2%
Minerals
Sodium	20 mg	0.9%
Calcium	5 mg	0.4%
Iron	0.7 mg	4.1%
Magnesium	6 mg	1.4%
Phosphorus	56 mg	4.5%
Potassium	90 mg	1.9%
Zinc	1.8 mg	16%
Copper	0.02 mg	2.7%
Manganese	0 mg	0.1%
Selenium	6.1 µg	11%
Carotenoids
Beta-carotene	0 µg	no DV
Lycopene	0 µg	no DV
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 µg	no DV
Other
Caffeine	0 mg	no DV
Water	16 g	no DV
Amino acids
Tryptophan	0.027 g	no DV
Threonine	0.204 g	no DV
Isoleucine	0.233 g	no DV
Leucine	0.411 g	no DV
Lysine	0.437 g	no DV
Methionine	0.136 g	no DV
Phenylalanine	0.206 g	no DV
Valine	0.259 g	no DV
Histidine	0.171 g	no DV

Missing nutrients were not analysed by USDA for this food; they are not zero. F marks a value updated from Foundation Foods (April 2026 analytical data). Source: USDA FoodData Central #174032 ("Beef, ground, 85% lean meat / 15% fat, patty, cooked, broiled").

Ground beef variants compared

Per 100 g, so preparations can be compared directly.

Variant	kcal	Protein g	Fat g	Potassium mg	Sodium mg
Ground beef (85% lean) (this page)	250	25.9	15.4	318	72
93% lean, broiled	193	26.2	8.9	342	66
70% lean, broiled	277	25.4	18.7	275	81

Compare ground beef with…

Chicken breast vs Ground beef

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in ground beef?

Ground beef has 212 calories per 3 oz (85 g), or 250 calories per 100 g, according to USDA FoodData Central.

How much protein is in ground beef?

22 g of protein per 3 oz, which is 44% of the 50 g Daily Value.

What is ground beef rich in?

Per serving, ground beef is richest in Vitamin B12 at 94% of the Daily Value, Zinc (49%), Protein (44%), Selenium (33%).

Is ground beef healthy?

By nutrient density, ground beef scores 19 on the NRF9.3 index (nine nutrients to encourage minus three to limit, per 100 kcal). Its nutrient profile is pro-inflammatory profile compared with other whole foods. See the methodology page for how both scores work; this is data, not medical advice.

More meat and poultry

Nutrient values are from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy, April 2018; Foundation Foods, April 2026) and shown per serving as described on each page. %DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. This is nutrition data for general information, not medical or dietary advice; talk to a clinician or registered dietitian about your own needs. How the numbers are calculated.