Calf Meat Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Veal leg cutlet at 107 kcal per 100g with 22.1g protein and 1.8g fat is the leanest red meat cut after goat (109 kcal, 2.31g fat). It's leaner than beef sirloin lean (160 kcal, 5.45g fat), lamb leg lean (128 kcal, 4.5g fat), and pork tenderloin (109 kcal, 2.17g fat). The protein efficiency of 4.8 kcal per gram of protein approaches chicken breast territory (5.3 kcal/g) ^[1][2].

Per 3 oz (85g): approximately 91 kcal, 18.8g protein, 1.5g fat. Per 6 oz (170g): 182 kcal, 37.6g protein, 3.1g fat. Saturated fat at 0.68g per 100g is minimal — lower than goat (0.71g) and far below beef sirloin lean (2.15g) ^[1].

Veal's leanness comes from the animal's young age (typically slaughtered at 4–5 months). Younger animals have less intramuscular fat development. This also explains veal's lighter color — less myoglobin accumulates in young muscle tissue.

Veal liver at 140 kcal per 100g has 21,143mcg vitamin A (2,349% DV) — the single highest vitamin A concentration of any commonly consumed food. This is 4.3x higher than beef liver (4,968mcg) and 2.9x higher than lamb liver (7,391mcg). The difference reflects younger animals' liver having a higher retinol concentration per gram of tissue ^[1][3].

Zinc in veal liver reaches 9.2mg (84% DV) — substantially higher than beef liver (4.0mg) or lamb liver (4.25mg). Niacin at 14.4mg (90% DV) and folate at 240mcg (60% DV) are both substantial. Iron at 2.7mg is lower than beef or lamb liver, reflecting the younger animal's lower iron stores ^[1].

The tolerable upper intake for vitamin A is 3,000mcg/day. A single 14g portion (approximately one tablespoon) of veal liver already reaches this limit. Veal liver is the food that requires the most careful portion tracking in any food journal due to its extreme vitamin A concentration.

Veal sweetbreads (thymus gland) are nutritionally distinct from every other meat product: 236 kcal, 12.17g protein, 20.35g fat per 100g. The fat content is the highest of any veal product and the protein is the lowest. But the standout is vitamin C at 38.6mg (43% DV) — the highest of any meat product, exceeding pork liver (25.3mg) and veal brain (18.0mg). Most muscle meats contain zero vitamin C ^[1][3].

Phosphorus at 387mg (31% DV) is the highest among all veal products. Cholesterol at 250mg per 100g is high but lower than liver (356mg), kidney (364mg), or brain (2,120mg). Potassium at 360mg is also notably high ^[1].

Sweetbreads are a delicacy in French, Italian, and Argentine cuisines. For food journaling, they should be logged separately from muscle meat due to their high fat (20.4g vs. 1.8g in cutlet) and unique vitamin C content. A typical restaurant portion (~150g) provides approximately 354 kcal with 58mg vitamin C.

Veal brain has 127 kcal, 10.3g protein, 8.61g fat per 100g — lower in calories and cholesterol than beef brain (143 kcal, 3,010mg). The cholesterol at 2,120mg (707% DV) is still among the highest of any food but 30% lower than beef brain. Calcium at 40mg and phosphorus at 356mg are both high ^[1].

Vitamin C at 18.0mg (20% DV) is unusual for meat and specific to brain tissue's high metabolic activity. The protein content (10.3g) is the lowest of any veal product — consistent with brain tissue being composed primarily of lipids rather than muscle fiber ^[1].

In South Asian cuisine, veal brain (bheja) is consumed as a delicacy. For food journaling, brain requires its own entry — using generic 'veal' or 'meat' entries would massively undercount cholesterol (2,120mg vs. ~60mg in muscle cuts) and overcount protein (10.3g vs. 19–22g).

Veal calorie range: cutlet 107 kcal to loin 177 kcal — a 65% difference driven by fat (1.8g vs. 10.1g). Shoulder (148 kcal, 7.6g fat) and shank (151 kcal, 7.5g fat) fall in between. Even the fattiest veal muscle cut (loin, 177 kcal) is leaner than many beef cuts — beef ribeye has 291 kcal ^[1][2].

Zinc in veal muscle cuts ranges from 2.0mg (cutlet/loin) to 4.5mg (shank) — shank has 2.25x more zinc than cutlet. Iron ranges from 0.8mg (loin) to 1.2mg (shoulder). These mineral levels are generally lower than adult beef due to the younger animal's lower iron and zinc accumulation ^[1].

Veal is notably high in magnesium: loin has 43mg (10% DV) per 100g — higher than beef sirloin (23mg) or chicken breast (29mg). This magnesium content is unusual for meat and makes veal one of the better meat sources for magnesium food journaling.