Beef Tenderloin (Filet Mignon) Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Trimmed broiled beef tenderloin provides 200 kcal per 100g with 29.0g protein and 8.4g fat — making it the lowest-calorie option among premium steak cuts ^[1]. For comparison: sirloin has 212 kcal, NY strip 208 kcal, and ribeye 291 kcal per 100g. Only flank steak (192 kcal) is leaner, and flank is not considered a premium cut.

The tenderloin muscle (psoas major) runs along the inside of the spine and does almost no weight-bearing work during the animal's life. This minimal exercise creates extremely tender meat with low connective tissue — but paradoxically, the low exercise also means less intramuscular fat development compared to rib or chuck muscles ^[1].

A 6-oz (170g) lean-only broiled filet mignon delivers 340 kcal and 49.3g protein — more protein than two scoops of whey protein (42g) at fewer calories than most protein-shake-plus-banana combinations. For those prioritizing protein density from whole food, tenderloin offers one of the best calorie-to-protein trades in the entire beef category ^[2].

The same tenderloin steak can range from 200 kcal (lean only, all grades) to 267 kcal (lean + fat, all grades) to 308 kcal (lean + fat, Prime grade) per 100g ^[1]. That's a 108-calorie range — a 54% swing — depending solely on how much external fat remains and which USDA grade you purchased.

Choice-grade tenderloin (the most commonly sold restaurant grade) with its fat runs 273 kcal per 100g — 37% more than the same steak trimmed. On a 6-oz portion, that's an extra 124 calories entirely from the marbling and fat cap that you may or may not consume ^[1].

Proteomic research comparing beef tenderloin to other cuts identified that tenderloin muscle fibers have a distinct protein composition — higher in specific myofibrillar proteins associated with tenderness, which correlates with the lower total protein concentration per gram compared to more exercised muscles like flank ^[3].

Lean broiled tenderloin delivers 31.4mcg selenium per 100g — 57% DV ^[1]. A 6-oz filet provides 53.4mcg selenium — 97% DV — nearly the entire daily requirement. This selenium density is competitive with many fish species (tuna provides 36.5mcg, salmon provides 32mcg per 100g cooked).

The selenium content of beef is influenced by soil selenium levels in the cattle's grazing and feed region. USDA values represent a national average, but cattle from selenium-rich regions (parts of the Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado) can have 20–40% higher selenium concentrations than the database average ^[1].

Combined with 3.8mg zinc (35% DV), 229mg phosphorus (18% DV), and 370mg potassium (8% DV) per 100g, tenderloin's mineral profile extends well beyond its reputation as simply a 'tender steak' — it functions as a significant micronutrient delivery vehicle per calorie ^[2].

Per 100g lean cooked: tenderloin (200 kcal, 29g protein, $$$), sirloin (212 kcal, 29.3g protein, $$), NY strip (208 kcal, 28.4g protein, $$), flank (192 kcal, 27.7g protein, $) ^[1]. Tenderloin is nutritionally near-identical to sirloin but typically costs 2–3x more per pound.

The practical implication: if you're choosing steak purely for macros, sirloin or flank deliver the same protein at the same or fewer calories for a fraction of the cost. The tenderloin premium pays for texture (buttery tenderness), not nutrition. For food journaling purposes, all four lean steaks are interchangeable at ±15 kcal per 100g ^[1].

Where tenderloin does differ significantly is in zinc: 3.8mg per 100g compared to sirloin's 5.3mg and ribeye's 6.8mg. Tenderloin has the lowest zinc among premium steak cuts because the psoas major muscle has lower zinc concentration than more metabolically active muscles ^[2].

A standard bacon-wrapped filet adds one cooked bacon strip (~12g) around the steak. That single strip contributes 54 kcal, 4.3g fat, and 194mg sodium to the filet ^[1]. On a 4-oz lean tenderloin (226 kcal), the bacon wrap adds 24% more calories and nearly triples the sodium from 68mg to 262mg.

Restaurant bacon-wrapped filets often use two strips and may also be butter-basted during cooking, pushing the total addition to 210+ kcal from bacon and butter alone. A steakhouse 8-oz bacon-wrapped, butter-basted filet can exceed 700 kcal — compared to 454 kcal for the same steak cooked plain ^[1].

For tracking: always log the bacon wrap and cooking fat separately from the steak itself. The tenderloin values in this calculator represent the meat only. Add bacon, butter, and sauce as separate ingredients to capture the full plate accurately.