Mithun Meat Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Mithun (Bos frontalis) loin at 104 kcal per 100g with 23.87g protein and 0.66g fat is the leanest red meat documented in peer-reviewed research. For comparison: goat is 109 kcal with 2.31g fat (3.5x more fat); beef sirloin lean is 160 kcal with 5.45g fat (8.3x more fat); veal cutlet is 107 kcal with 1.8g fat (2.7x more fat); and chicken breast is 120 kcal with 2.62g fat (4.0x more fat) ^[1][2].

Mithun's extremely low fat content (0.66g/100g) is attributed to the animal's semi-wild grazing lifestyle in the forests and hills of Northeast India. The high protein-to-calorie ratio of 4.36 kcal per gram of protein is the best of any commonly consumed meat — better than chicken breast (5.33 kcal/g) ^[1][3].

Per 3 oz (85g): approximately 88 kcal, 20.3g protein, 0.6g fat. Per 6 oz (170g): 177 kcal, 40.6g protein, 1.1g fat. The protein yield per calorie makes mithun uniquely efficient for nutrition tracking.

Mithun chops/loin contain 6.08mg zinc per 100g (55% DV) — higher than beef ribeye (4.44mg), lamb shoulder (3.6mg), goat (4.00mg), and veal shoulder (3.2mg). This zinc density is unusual for muscle meat and may reflect the animal's forage-based diet in mineral-rich hill soils of Northeast India ^[4][5].

Iron at 2.25mg per 100g is comparable to goat (2.83mg) and higher than veal cutlet (0.81mg) or pork loin (0.83mg). Phosphorus at 178–190mg and selenium at 14.5–14.8mcg are within typical ranges for lean red meat ^[4].

For zinc-focused nutrition journaling, mithun provides 55% DV in 100g — meaning a 6 oz (170g) serving delivers approximately 93% DV for zinc. No other lean muscle meat approaches this zinc density.

Mithun organ meats have been characterized by ICAR-NRC research (Mondal et al., 2022): liver protein 18.11%, fat 1.59%; heart protein 15.47%, fat 1.72%; kidney protein 12.82%, fat 1.47%. These organs are notably leaner than cattle equivalents — mithun liver at 1.59% fat vs. beef liver at 3.63% fat ^[3][4].

Mithun liver is estimated at 107 kcal per 100g with 5.5mg iron and ~4,500mcg vitamin A (est. from bovine liver scaled for the species' leaner composition). Kidney at 67 kcal has the highest selenium estimate at ~110mcg (200% DV) — consistent with bovine kidney selenium data. Heart at 79 kcal is estimated to have 4.0mg iron ^[3][4].

Organ meat micronutrient values are estimated from the ICAR-NRC proximate data combined with bovine organ profiles, since mithun-specific micronutrient analysis of organs has not been published. This estimation is clearly noted in each variant label.

Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a semi-domesticated bovine found primarily in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram. It is closely related to the Indian gaur (Bos gaurus) and is culturally significant — traditionally sacrificed during festivals and ceremonies. Research from ICAR-NRC Medziphema has documented its exceptional nutritional profile ^[1][2].

Nutritional comparison per 100g (lean raw): mithun loin — 104 kcal, 23.87g protein, 0.66g fat, 6.08mg zinc. Rabbit (wild) — 114 kcal, 21.79g protein, 2.36g fat, 1.57mg zinc. Venison — 120 kcal, 22.96g protein, 2.42g fat, 2.09mg zinc. Bison — 109 kcal, 21.62g protein, 1.84g fat, 3.68mg zinc. Mithun is leaner than all of these and has more zinc than any of them ^[1][4].

The animal's free-range forest grazing results in a favorable fatty acid profile with higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content compared to feedlot cattle. This nutritional advantage extends from the production system — mithun are essentially semi-wild animals converting forest biomass into extremely lean, high-protein meat ^[3].

Mithun muscle cuts range from leg meat (84 kcal, 0.48g fat) to loin (104 kcal, 0.66g fat) — a 24% calorie difference driven by protein content (18.7g vs. 23.87g). Chops (106 kcal, 0.80g fat) and shoulder (95 kcal, 1.2g fat) fall between these. Even the 'fattiest' mithun cut (shoulder, 1.2g fat) has less fat than the leanest chicken breast (2.62g fat) ^[1][3].

Protein ranges from 18.7g (leg) to 23.87g (loin) per 100g. The loin's 23.87g is higher than chicken breast (22.5g) and beef sirloin lean (22.33g), comparable to turkey breast (23.7g). Iron is consistent across cuts at 2.1–2.4mg and zinc at 5.8–6.5mg ^[2][4].

For food journaling, mithun cuts are remarkably consistent — the difference between the leanest and fattiest cut is only 0.72g fat. This makes generic 'mithun meat' entries reasonably accurate for fat, unlike beef where ribeye (291 kcal) vs. sirloin lean (160 kcal) creates an 82% calorie difference.