At the meat counter, it is easy to treat chicken, turkey, pork and beef as four fixed nutrition profiles. They are not. The cut can matter as much as — or more than — the animal. Skinless chicken breast and skin-on thigh differ substantially; pork tenderloin and bacon are farther apart still.
So this comparison uses lean cooked cuts that could reasonably fill the same role on a plate.
Nutrition per 100 g cooked
| Cut | Protein | Fat | Calories | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skinless chicken breast | ~31 g | ~3.6 g | ~165 | ~1 mg |
| Skinless turkey breast | ~29.5 g | ~2 g | ~145 | ~1 mg |
| Lean pork tenderloin/loin | ~27 g | ~5 g | ~165 | ~1 mg |
| Lean beef round | ~29 g | ~6 g | ~185 | ~2.5 mg |
The first useful observation is how tightly protein is grouped: roughly 27–31 g/100 g. Fat, calories and iron often give you more meaningful reasons to choose between these cuts than a one- or two-gram protein gap.
Chicken and turkey are nearly tied on protein
Chicken breast is about 31 g protein/100 g versus roughly 29.5 g for turkey breast. In a 5-ounce / 142 g serving, that is about 44 g versus 42 g — only around a 2 g difference.
If you like both, protein is not a compelling reason to prefer one. The turkey example is a little leaner, at about 2 g fat and 145 calories/100 g versus chicken at about 3.6 g and 165 calories.
Lean pork is much closer to chicken than its reputation suggests
Pork tenderloin or a lean loin cut can provide about 27 g protein, 5 g fat and roughly 165 calories/100 g. In calories, that is essentially level with the chicken example.
The phrase “pork is fatty” falls apart when you compare tenderloin with bacon, which can exceed 40–50 g fat/100 g. Same animal, very different food.
Beef stands out more for iron than protein
Lean beef can provide around 29 g protein/100 g — almost the same as turkey and only about 2 g below chicken. Its clearer advantage here is iron: often around 2–3 mg/100 g versus roughly 1 mg in the lean poultry and pork examples.
Some of that is heme iron, which is generally absorbed efficiently. Beef is also a strong vitamin B12 source; pork is notable for thiamin, while chicken and turkey contribute substantial niacin and vitamin B6.
Fat explains much of the calorie difference
Turkey in this comparison provides about 145 calories/100 g and lean beef about 185, despite nearly identical protein —29.5 versus 29 g. The roughly 40-calorie gap tracks largely with fat: about 2 g versus 6 g.
Fat supplies 9 calories per gram compared with 4 for protein or carbohydrate, so modest fat differences can move calories more than modest protein differences.
Deli turkey is not turkey breast
The table describes minimally processed meat. Deli products can contain added water, sodium, starches and other ingredients, so a package labeled “turkey” should not automatically inherit the numbers from fresh roasted turkey breast.
Cooking can change the plate more than switching meats
Chicken and lean pork in this example are both around 165 calories/100 g. One U.S. tablespoon of oil, however, adds roughly 120 calories. Skin, breading and sauces can likewise change the final meal more than switching from chicken to turkey.
Which one makes sense for your goal?
For very low fat, chicken or turkey breast are easy choices. For more iron and B12, beef stands out. For variety without moving far from poultry’s calorie profile, pork tenderloin works well.
The useful takeaway
There is no universal winner. Lean chicken, turkey, pork and beef are all concentrated protein foods and are closer to one another than broad species stereotypes suggest. The cut, fat, iron and cooking method usually matter more than the animal name alone.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Representative cooked meat composition.