Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked: how many calories?

Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked carries 217 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (120 g) comes to 260 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g217kcal
  • Protein26.0 g
  • Carbs0.0 g
  • Fat11.7 g
  • Fibre0.0 g
1 portion · 120 g260kcal
  • Protein31.2 g
  • Carbs0.0 g
  • Fat14.0 g
  • Fibre0.0 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 50%
  • Carbs 0%
  • Fat 50%

Each macro's grams are multiplied by its own calorie value: 4 for protein and carbohydrate, 9 for fat. Fibre sits inside the carbohydrate figure and alcohol is not in the list at all, which is why the three shares add up to exactly one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked carries 2.2 calories per gram: 100 calories work out to 46 grams. This is the band of bread and dry grains; one slice too many is both visible and noticeable in the total.

A typical portion is 120 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked that means understating the calories by 17%.

In calories, one portion (120 g · 260 kcal) comes to: 126 g Vanilla ice cream. Vanilla ice cream page

One portion every day adds up to 95,046 calories a year — roughly a 12.3 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

The cooking method is decisive here: boiling barely changes the calories per gram, while frying adds fat and can load 50-90 calories onto 100 grams.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
Tablespoon (15 ml)9.0 g20 kcal2.3 g
Small glass (100 ml)60 g130 kcal15.6 g
Glass (200 ml)120 g260 kcal31.2 g
US cup (240 ml)144 g312 kcal37.4 g
Bowl (300 ml)180 g391 kcal46.8 g

A household measure measures volume and a scale measures weight; what links the two is the food's bulk density, and the table goes that way round. The same cup holds 10-20% more once the contents are packed down or chopped finer. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 120 g
Calories2,000 kcal11%13%
Fat70 g17%20%
Carbs260 g0%0%
Protein50 g52%62%
Fibre25 g0%0%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 12 of the 13 foods in the Meat, fish and legumes group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 156 kcal; Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked is 39% above that average.

Lighter options at the same 120 grams

FoodCaloriesDifferenceProtein
Shrimp — cookedGood swap119 kcal−142 kcal28.8 g
Tuna — in waterGood swap139 kcal−121 kcal31.2 g
AnchovyGood swap157 kcal−103 kcal24.5 g

The “good swap” mark only appears when an option lowers the calories without also lowering protein and fibre per 100 calories. Unmarked rows save calories but give up nutrient density. Try it with your own portion

How long does it take to burn one portion (120 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)64 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)29 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h37 min

The times are for someone weighing 70 kilos and use NET burn: the resting calories that would have been spent anyway over the same period are subtracted. The heavier the person, the shorter the time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Ground beef — 10% fat, cooked meets 1 of them:

  • High protein48% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 20%

A claim on a label rests on that product's OWN laboratory analysis, whereas the numbers here come from average composition tables. The list is therefore not a permit but an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks, the calorie and fat thresholds are set per 100 millilitres and are lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.