Veal is one of the most preferred types of meat for dietary and low-calorie nutrition. Although by and large it is the same beef only "younger". Are these types of meat significantly different? I propose to understand in detail the distinctive features of these "related" species ... We will compare the nutritional, mineral and vitamin components.

Nutrient data are based on information provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The sample was made according to these criteria: beef, veal, ground, raw. And so we compare ...

PROTEINS, FATS AND OTHER

When buying meat, we probably first of all pay for the protein it contains, everyone associates meat with it. Veal contains 35% more protein.

They try to avoid fats, especially purchasing veal and this indicator is really much lower for her. It is important to know that the fat content indicator varies greatly from which part of the carcass each particular piece of meat comes from. Average figures are also provided here.

Often you have to hear all sorts of epithets addressed to veal meat, about how tender it is, with a delicate taste, and so on. But in fact, this is not entirely true and it is more difficult to cook it delicious, you need to have a certain skill in order for the finished dish to meet expectations. This is due to its lean, low fat content. The less fat in the meat, the more difficult it is to make it juicy and tender. So be careful when cooking low-fat meats.

Despite the fact that veal is much more dietary meat, high cholesterol levels are inevitable. Both types of meat contain large amounts of it, about 78-82 mg per 100 grams. In absolute terms, this is approximately 25% of the RDA for an adult.

And veal is also more watery: 72 grams of water per 100 grams of meat, versus 55 grams for beef.

MINERAL DIFFERENCES

Among other things, these types of meat differ somewhat in the presence of micro and macro elements. This is what this table testifies to.

VITAMINS IN BEEF AND VEAL

Both types of meat are excellent sources of B vitamins, but still, many of their indicators are very different. Check it out in the comparison chart.

Which meat is considered beef and which is veal?

Veal - meat of young cattle from 14 days to three months. This meat is considered.
Beef is the meat of adult cattle and young animals older than three months.

Classification (varieties) of veal and beef
The composition and properties of meat depend on the breed and sex of the slaughtered animal (for example, in the meat of a cow, compared to that of a bull, there is less moisture, but more fat). The most prized beef is obtained from beef cattle breeds.

Beef and veal are divided into 3 varieties. The first class includes the dorsal, breast, sirloin, sirloin, rump and rump; to the second - the scapular and shoulder parts, as well as the flank; to the third - an incision, front and back shank.

Signs of fresh and quality beef and veal meat
The color of high-quality beef on the cut is light red, during cooking it does not lose volume and almost does not decrease in weight. However, the color of beef can range from bright red to reddish brown, which can tell you how long ago it was cut. If the meat is too dark and dry, this may mean that it has been on the counter for a long time.

High-quality veal has a dense fabric, light pink in color - the lighter, the younger the animal was. Fat layers in veal are white, in beef - yellow. If the outer layer of fat is separated from the meat by a film, this means that the slaughtered animal was old.

Eating beef and veal(correct cutting of carcasses)
Beef is consumed fried, boiled, stewed, smoked, and is also used to make minced meat. For clear broths and most soups, it is best to use a rump with bone, which is called "sugar", as well as the back of the rump, rump with bone, shoulder and shoulder of the carcass. Beef fried with blood (veal) is a wonderful food for men.

For cabbage soup and borscht, more fatty meat is required (the front part of the brisket, the so-called "bang"). Soup is cooked from the shank, but it should be borne in mind that this part of the carcass takes longer to cook and often the soup from the shank acquires a specific smell and stickiness characteristic of jellies. Soups are also prepared from the rib section of the scapular part of the carcass and flank. The jellies are prepared from the shank.

Fried meat dishes are best prepared from the tenderloin, sirloin, the inside of the rump (the so-called "gut"), the upper part of the rump, and entrecote (the flesh located along the dorsal vertebrae)

Among the types of meat that are traditionally used in Slavic cuisine during the preparation of broths and main dishes, there is, of course, the primacy over beef. Statistics say that among the meat products that the average person in Eastern Europe uses for food, sixty percent belongs to beef. But veal is one of the products from which it is customary to prepare diet meals and delicacies. In order to serve real culinary masterpieces to your table, and not just food, we suggest finding out what sausage factories of Ukraine offer as veal and beef. So, beef traditionally refers to meat, which is obtained as a result of the slaughter of one-year-old cattle.

Such meat is sold in the form of brisket, bone, fillet and steak. It all depends on the method of cutting the cow carcass, as well as the bull carcass. Moreover, beef is also a valuable protein product. The meat contains iron, zinc and vitamins, which belong to group B. Note that the quality of the meat will be affected by the age of the animal, how it was fed, as well as the storage time of the meat. So, beef has very high taste, which goes into processing twelve hours after cutting the carcass (photo 1).

High-quality beef has a rich red color, a homogeneous structure and a specific milky smell. If you cut the muscle tissue, you can see the cross-section of the muscles. Moreover, young beef is very soft, so it is easy to heat treatment. That is, it takes very little time to cook a dish out of it. The dishes are juicy and very tender. But mature beef, on the contrary, is tough. Such meat is best used for cooking broths, as well as ground and minced meat dishes. Ripe beef differs from young color. So, the older the animal was, the darker the meat, and the fatty layer has a yellow-brown or yellow tint (photo 2).


Veal includes meat that was obtained from young animals 1-12 months old. It is believed that the younger the calf, the more tender the veal will be. Of course, such meat is more expensive than beef and pork. Dishes prepared from such meat have unsurpassed taste. Although the beef neck also tastes great. Such a piece of meat can be used to make goulash, steaks, and medallions. It is also worth noting that veal is often used for diet food and baby food. Such meat is easily digestible, contains vitamins of group B, E, PP and choline (photo 3).


Veal is much lighter in color than beef. A fresh piece of meat has a pale pink color. Moreover, there is a mother-of-pearl tint on the cut. The fat layer is white. Although the percentage of fat in such meat is much higher than beef, these fats are easily absorbed by the body and broken down. Delicacies are often prepared from veal, added to sausages, as well as sausages of the highest grades, raw smoked sausages. Due to this, the taste of such products is increased. Veal has no contraindications. But such meat is not recommended for allergic reactions and personal intolerance (photo 4).


As already mentioned, manufacturers make semi-smoked sausages from veal and beef, the price of which can differ significantly. Visually, these two types of meat also differ in the size of the cuts. Beef can be up to a ton in weight, while a two-month-old animal weighs up to eighty kilograms, and a six-month-old up to one hundred and eighty. When boiling, high-quality beef almost does not decrease in weight. Remember that if the beef meat is dry and too dark, then it could lie on the counter for more than one day (photo 5).

The daily diet of each person should include a variety of food products, where meat and offal deserves special attention. Among the most popular types of meat, beef and veal deserve special attention, which, despite their related origin, have a number of differences. Before you understand what is healthier than beef or veal, it is worth understanding the difference between these types of beef. Veal can be considered the meat of a young cow or bull, whose age ranges from two weeks to three months, the meat of older individuals is already called beef. Contrary to numerous claims that veal is healthier than beef, you should know that the taste and health properties differ depending on the sex of the animal, the breed and the selected part of the animal's carcass, the main thing is that the meat is fresh and attractive in appearance.

Beef - composition, useful properties and contraindications to consumption

Beef, unlike other types of meat, has a number of characteristics, which makes it more attractive, although there are some contraindications to its use, which should be remembered for those who decided to replace it with other types of meat. It has a thick-fiber structure, the color can be from light red to dark brown, depending on the age of the animal, the timing and characteristics of its storage. The darker the meat, the older the animal was; too dark color may indicate its long-term storage.

The main feature is the complexity of its digestion, which requires an elevated temperature. Thus, in order to digest it, the body needs to turn on additional resources and expend excess energy. Such properties are used by those who want to lose weight. Beef dishes are good sources of protein, with much less fat than pork, duck and goose. It is worth remembering that the meat of a cow that feeds on meadow grass and other healthy products is of great benefit, while the nutritional value of beef raised on artificial feed is much less.

It contains a large amount of nutrients and vitamins. Special attention should be paid to the variety and quantity of B vitamins, which are responsible for the proper functioning of the digestive system, the condition of the skin and the human nervous system. It also contains vitamins of group E and PP, in a wide range there are useful chemical elements, including calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, fluorine, selenium and many others.

Among the useful properties, it is possible to note the presence a large number a protein that promotes the renewal of cells of blood vessels, joints and human skin. Consuming boiled beef is also recommended for those who have suffered an injury or a complex illness, due to the large amount of iron in the composition, it is indicated for people suffering from a deficiency of this very useful chemical element. Speaking about the benefits, do not forget that it depends to a large extent on the way of storage and preparation, and boiled beef is much healthier than fried or smoked beef. As for contraindications to consumption, it should not be abused by people with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, you should also not consume it often, as this can cause a malfunction of cardio-vascular system.

Useful properties and harm of veal

A special type of beef meat is veal, which looks different and has a different chemical composition when compared to older animals. Quality veal is more like pork - it has a light pink color and white body fat, in contrast to the dense yellow fat of adult cows. The color indicates the age of the animal, and the lighter the veal, the younger it was. It, in contrast to the first test, contains less protein, and its fat content is several times lower, which makes it a dietary product. Therefore, it is part of all sorts of diets aimed at losing weight.

As for the useful composition of veal, it contains a large assortment of useful vitamins and minerals, but most often their amount is different, and not in favor of beef. To conclude that beef or veal is healthier, you should consider a table containing data on the chemical and biological composition:

Comparing the chemical composition of both types, you can draw some conclusions regarding the benefits of a particular product. So, buying beef, you overpay, since it contains more water, at the same time, buying veal, you get less fat, more protein, B and PP vitamins, more in veal and such useful microelements like potassium, phosphorus and sodium. At the same time, beef is healthier for bones and teeth, as it has a higher calcium content, more iron in it, so it is advisable for anemic patients to consume beef.

What to choose

Both beef and veal, and this must always be remembered, have a lot of cholesterol, the amount of which is 78-82 milligrams per 100 grams of product. As for fat, it is much less in young animals, therefore it is considered dietary and is indicated even for those who have decided to lose weight. It is worth knowing, however, that the fat content depends not only on the type of meat and the age of the animal, but also on which part of the carcass it was taken from. If you have not yet decided for yourself that beef or veal is healthier, then you should know that cooking juicy veal, due to the lower amount of fat, is much more difficult, and often only professionals can do it. There is no meat consumption rate, but it is known for sure not to overload the body with it, as this can lead to some disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system.

Despite the fact that supporters of the principles of a vegetarian diet convincingly, at first glance, prove the advantages of their lifestyle, scientists and doctors are in no hurry to urge everyone to give up meat. And I must say that this product really contains substances irreplaceable for the body, which are simply not present in vegetables and cereals. Red meat, including beef, is especially valuable in this sense.

What is this product?

Probably everyone knows that beef is the meat of cattle. In our country, this product is most often obtained from cows. And the younger the animal, the more tender and soft the meat will be. Therefore, veal is even isolated as a separate species, which includes the meat of animals less than a year old.

What is the difference between beef and veal?

It has already been noted that these products are obtained from the same animals, therefore the composition of nutrients in them is similar. At the same time, beef differs from veal in the amount of certain components.

• Both types of meat contain valuable macronutrients. Veal surpasses beef in the content of potassium, sodium, phosphorus. But the latter has more iron and calcium. In addition, microelements are present in large quantities in beef: zinc, fluorine, selenium.
• As in almost all animal products, red meat contains a lot of B vitamins. Veal has more of them (with the exception of B12, which accumulates throughout life), in addition, it is richer in vitamin PP. Beef, in addition to the named B12, surpasses veal in terms of vitamin E.

• If we consider the energy value, then the figures for the protein content per 100 grams of food will be quite comparable (both in beef and veal about 19-20 g). But in terms of the amount of fat, the discrepancy is significant, in "young" meat they are much less (about 2 g versus 12.5 g in beef). There are no carbohydrates in these products. In this case, the calorie content will largely depend on the fat content. Accordingly, the nutritional value of beef averages about 200 kcal, which is more than double that of veal (about 97 kcal).
• The meat of young animals contains more water, due to which it is softer and more tender, but during the cooking process there is a risk of quickly drying it out.

It should be noted that the indicators are rather arbitrary and may differ in different sources. There are objective reasons for this. The fact is that the composition of any meat is highly dependent on the growing conditions of the animal and its diet. But on average, the ratio of the components of beef and veal will correspond to the indicated one.

How can you tell them apart?

Since an adult animal has more developed muscles, well supplied with blood, its meat is quite easy to distinguish by its appearance. You can focus on the following signs.

• The older the animal, the redder the meat. Veal has a pale pink color, sometimes almost white with a pearlescent tint.
• Fat, which is more in beef, may be present in the form of veins (the so-called marbled meat). In veal, they are whitish, almost invisible.
• Young meat is noticeably softer to the touch, beef is more dense and tough.
• Small calves' meat smells like milk.
• It is worth paying attention to the size of the cut. Chunks of beef are usually larger, as whole carcasses can reach a ton by weight. At the same time, calves at the age of 6 months weigh an average of 130-170 kilograms.

Beef

Veal

How to choose?

It is important to know the differences between products, to be able to distinguish between veal and beef, but it is even more important to buy quality meat. The less time has passed since the slaughter of the animal, the more useful the product will be. Meat can be considered fresh if the specified time does not exceed 12 hours.

If the color of the product has acquired a brownish tint (applies to both veal and beef), the surface looks "windy", dry, this should alert. Most likely, such meat has spent too long time on the counter, and it is better to refuse to buy it.

Should not inspire confidence and the product, the veins and films in which have become yellowish and easily peel off from the meat. This is especially striking when buying beef. But even in veal carcasses, in which the interlayer as such is not visible, if the meat is stale, the stratification will be noticeable.

You can also check the freshness by touch. The surface of the piece should recover quickly after pressing. This is especially noticeable on the meat of young animals, which is initially more elastic. If the fossa remains, the product is stale.

Let's summarize the signs of stale meat:

• brown shade of fibers;
• "Windy" inelastic surface;
• yellow streaks;
• stratification of meat.

But the concepts "stale" and "substandard" are not always equivalent. Even the freshest food can be dangerous. If an animal grew up in an ecologically unfavorable area, received inappropriate or contaminated food, it is unlikely to be completely healthy. For example, salts of heavy metals in large quantities can be deposited in bones and internal organs, respectively, and meat in this case cannot be of high quality and useful. In this sense, veal is safer than beef, since the calf simply does not have time to accumulate many harmful substances.

In any case, whatever meat you prefer, do not hesitate to ask the sellers for certificates confirming the safety of the products.

What can you cook?

There is no fundamental difference in the preparation of beef and veal. Most dishes made from one type of meat work well with another. The same seasonings and marinades can be used. But some nuances are worth noting.

Beef is a tighter meat, so it will take longer to process to soften it. If you plan to grill or grill, marinate the beef longer than veal. When young meat is cooked, long frying threatens with the fact that at the exit the product will become tough due to lack of fat.

Of the dishes that are made only from veal, one can single out blanket - a stew with vegetables under a white sauce.

Who is it useful for?

The main value of red meat is its high amount of iron. Thanks to this, beef is recommended for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia. Risk groups for this indicator are:

• women with heavy periods;
• pregnant women;
• injured people with heavy bleeding;
• postoperative patients;
• children.

Although there is less iron in the meat of young animals, it is better absorbed. It is also important that the veal is less fatty. Therefore, such meat will be healthier and better for children. It, among other complementary foods, can be recommended even for a child of the first year of life, of course, in a carefully grated form.

Veal is also beneficial for diabetics and people with cardiovascular problems.

Contraindications

Beef can store a lot of cholesterol and purine compounds and is also fatter. For this reason, this type of meat is not recommended for the following people:

• with vascular diseases;
• with joint problems;
• suffering from osteochondrosis;
• with digestive problems;
• with weak liver and kidneys.

Veal has practically no contraindications and is quite capable of replacing beef with success. It is only necessary to keep in mind that with all the listed problems, you should not eat fried meat.

Red meat is usually one of the most expensive for the price, veal is even more expensive. If it is not possible to constantly buy a dietary product, sometimes you can use beef in the form of a broth. But in order to reduce the side harmful effect, the first broth after boiling is drained and only the second is taken.

You will learn how to cook delicious veal with vegetables with white sauce in the following video.