How Much Protein is in a Quarter Pound of Beef?

Beef is one of the most popular meats worldwide. It’s rich in protein vitamins minerals and healthy fats. No wonder beef is a staple in many diets including the carnivore, paleo, keto and bodybuilding diets.

But how much protein is actually in a quarter pound of beef? Let’s find out.

How Much Protein in Raw Ground Beef Per Quarter Pound

A quarter pound of raw ground beef contains around 19 grams of protein. The exact amount can vary slightly depending on the leanness of the beef:

• 80% lean ground beef: 18 g protein per quarter pound
• 85% lean ground beef: 19 g protein per quarter pound
• 90% lean ground beef: 22 g protein per quarter pound

The leaner the beef, the more protein it contains because there is less fat relative to protein. Fat has 9 calories per gram while protein has 4 calories per gram.

So in a quarter pound (4 oz) serving size:

• 80% lean ground beef has around 18 g protein, 10 g fat
• 85% lean ground beef has around 19 g protein, 8 g fat
• 90% lean ground beef has around 22 g protein, 5 g fat

How Much Protein in Cooked Ground Beef Per Quarter Pound

Cooking ground beef reduces the amount of protein due to water loss.

When ground beef is cooked it loses around 25% of its weight. Therefore a quarter pound (4 oz) of raw ground beef reduces to around 3 ounces (85 grams) after cooking.

• A quarter pound (4 oz) of raw 80% lean ground beef has 18 g protein. After cooking 3 oz (85 g) it has around 13.5 g protein.

• A quarter pound of raw 85% lean ground beef has 19 g protein. After cooking 3 oz it has around 14 g protein.

• A quarter pound of raw 90% lean ground beef has 22 g protein. After cooking 3 oz it has around 16.5 g protein.

• 80% lean cooked ground beef: 13.5 g protein per quarter pound uncooked
• 85% lean cooked ground beef: 14 g protein per quarter pound uncooked
• 90% lean cooked ground beef: 16.5 g protein per quarter pound uncooked

How Much Protein in a Beef Burger Patty

A quarter pound beef burger patty, whether homemade or store-bought, typically contains 15-18 grams of protein depending on the leanness.

Here are the protein amounts in some popular beef burger patties:

• McDonald’s Quarter Pounder: 19 g protein
• Wendy’s Quarter Pound Single: 18 g protein
• Burger King Whopper Patty: 16 g protein
• 85% lean homemade patty: 14 g protein
• 80% lean homemade patty: 13.5 g protein

Burger patties tend to be slightly higher in protein than ground beef because they maintain their shape better after cooking so less protein is lost.

Daily Protein Needs

A quarter pound of beef patty contains 13-19 grams of protein, which is a significant amount towards your daily protein needs:

• Women need around 46 grams protein per day
• Men need around 56 grams protein per day

As a guide, here is how much a quarter pound beef burger contributes to your daily protein needs:

• Women: 30-40%
• Men: 25-35%

Consuming around 2 quarter pound beef patties per day would provide nearly half your protein requirements.

Lean Beef is an Excellent Source of Protein

Beef is one of the best sources of high quality protein available. Here’s why:

Complete protein – Beef contains all 9 essential amino acids required to build and repair muscles and tissues. Other complete proteins include poultry, fish, eggs and dairy.

Highly bioavailable – Beef protein is over 90% digestible by the human body compared to around 50-80% for plant proteins like beans and nuts.

Leucine – Beef is highest in the amino acid leucine, which plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis. This makes beef great for building muscle.

Heme iron – Beef contains heme iron, which is absorbed 2-3 times more efficiently than non-heme iron in plant foods.

B12 – Beef provides the active form of vitamin B12, which supports nerve health and energy levels.

Zinc – Beef delivers zinc which keeps your immune system strong.

So be sure to keep some ground beef handy to bump up your protein intake. A quarter pound or two of beef per day will provide a significant dose of complete, high quality protein.

Other High Protein Beef Cuts

In addition to ground beef, other beef cuts are also high in protein:

Eye of round roast – 25g protein per 3 ounces cooked
Sirloin steak – 24g protein per 3 ounces cooked
Top sirloin – 23g protein per 3 ounces cooked
Top loin steak – 23g protein per 3 ounces cooked
Bottom round roast – 22g protein per 3 ounces cooked
95% lean ground beef – 22g protein per quarter pound cooked

For a protein packed meal, select leaner beef cuts like eye of round, sirloin, round roast or 95% lean ground beef. These provide around 22-25 grams of protein per 3-4 ounce serving.

Do Men and Women Need Different Amounts of Protein?

Yes, the recommended protein intake is different for men and women. The basic daily protein recommendations are:

• Women – 46 grams per day (0.8 grams per kg bodyweight)
• Men – 56 grams per day (0.8 grams per kg bodyweight)

These needs increase for active individuals and athletes:

• Endurance athletes – 1.2-1.4 grams per kg bodyweight
• Strength athletes – Up to 1.7 grams per kg bodyweight

The reason men need more protein is because they have more muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active and constantly broken down and rebuilt, so more protein is needed to maintain muscle in individuals with greater muscle mass.

Is 100 Grams of Protein Per Day Too Much?

Most people can safely consume up to around 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight or around 1 gram per pound. This works out to around:

• 150 grams protein per day for a 150 lb person
• 180 grams per day for a 200 lb person
• 100 grams per day for a 110 lb person

Consuming up to 2g/kg (1g/lb) is considered safe for most healthy individuals. Certain people like those with kidney disease may need to curb protein intake, but for most people this upper limit is fine.

Higher intakes like 2-3 g/kg are often used by athletes and bodybuilders to maximize muscle growth with no adverse effects.

Is it Healthy to Eat Beef Every Day?

Eating beef every day can be perfectly healthy provided you choose lean cuts of beef and moderate your portion sizes. Some tips:

• Select leanCuts like eye of round, sirloin, flank steak. Avoid prime rib and ribeye.
• Limit portion sizes to around 3-6 ounces cooked beef per day
• Enjoy grass-fed beef when you can for more omega-3s
• Pair beef with vegetables for better nutrition
• Cook with healthy oils like olive and avocado oil instead of butter

People following low carb, keto, paleo and carnivore diets often eat beef daily in moderate portions. Pairing beef with non-starchy vegetables makes for a nutritious meal.

It’s fine to choose organic, grass-fed beef when affordable as these provide more omega-3 fats and antioxidants. But regular beef is also very healthy and nutritious.

So enjoy your quarter pounders and burgers guilt free! Beef is a tasty high protein option that can be included daily as part of a healthy diet.