Difference between Veal and Beef

Updated on October 26, 2016

What are your meat alternatives when you are tired of chicken and pork? Beef or veal, of course! And knowing the difference between them is important for when you are ordering some fancy dish at a restaurant. Therefore, if you are not yet very sure about what each of them means, keep reading. It will make your next fancy restaurant outing a success.


A veal cut

Veal is the meat of calves, or young cows. It does not depend on the sex or the breed of the animal, only on the age. The younger the calf, the lighter the color of the meat is. There are many varieties: bob veal is the flesh of five-day-old calves, milk-fed veal is the flesh of 18- to 20-week-old calves, red veal or grain-fed veal is the meat of 22- to 26-week-old calves, and rose veal is the flesh of 35-week-old calves.

This meat is tender and very tasty. A 3-ounce piece of veal has about 5.38 grams of fat and only 2.15 grams of saturated fat. It has around 114 milligrams of cholesterol and is 179 Calories.

There are concerns regarding the slaughtering of calves, as eating the baby of any animal at such a young age is often considered immoral. The conditions in which the animals are kept are often inhumane, as well.

A piece of beef

Beef is meat from adult cows. It is the third most widely consumed meat in the world and it can be cooked in a variety of ways. Beef is a denser type of meat with a very consistent taste. The older the animal, the longer it takes to cook. A 3-ounce piece of beef has 4.53 grams of fat, 1.632 grams of saturated fat and 77 milligrams of cholesterol. It has about 170 Calories.

Veal vs Beef

So what is the difference between veal and beef?

The main difference between veal and beef lies with the age of the animal. A younger animal will often have more tender meat. As far as the nutritional value of the meat is concerned, veal has slightly more fat and Calories than beef. However, it is easier to cook, more flavorful, and more expensive.

Comparison Chart

The meat of calvesThe meat of cattle
Tender, very flavoredA bit more dense, flavored
Has a bit more fat and Calories than beefHas a bit less fat and Calories than veal
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