Meat, poultry and eggs · IFCT 2017
Sheep meat (lamb): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, sheep shoulder gives 201 kcal, 18.2 g protein and 14.3 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Its 3.69 mg of zinc ranks 2nd of 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group, meeting 22 per cent of a sedentary man's daily requirement. It is also the richest in saturated fat of the group, at 6.92 g per 100 g.
About sheep meat (lamb)
Sheep meat is often sold under the same word, mutton, as goat, but cooks and butchers know the difference: it is fattier, more strongly flavoured and softer. It is the preferred red meat in Kashmir, where the wazwan feast of rista, gushtaba and rogan josh is built on sheep. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with some of India's largest flocks, cook gorre mamsam curries and fries, Karnataka has kuri saaru, and Rajasthan and the Deccan grill and braise it.
IFCT 2017 lists 11 forms. The leg is the best everyday cut, with 21.4 g protein and 8.7 g fat per 100 g, and chops are leanest at 5.2 g fat. The shoulder used here is the fattiest. Among the organs, spleen holds 53.11 mg iron per 100 g, lungs 8.58 mg, liver 6.15 mg and kidneys 6.11 mg, while liver also has the most protein of any sheep cut at 22.3 g.
What sheep meat (lamb) brings to a meal
- 01
Zinc second only to goat
Sheep shoulder supplies 3.69 mg of zinc per 100 g, 2nd of 14 in its group and 21st of 243 foods. That meets 22 per cent of a man's daily zinc requirement and 28 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
Highest saturated fat in its group
At 6.92 g of saturated fat and 14.3 g total fat per 100 g, sheep shoulder is the fattiest meat in its group after pork, and the richest in saturated fat. Leg or chops cut both sharply.
- 03
Iron sits in the organs
The shoulder has 1.63 mg of iron per 100 g, meeting 9 per cent of a man's requirement. Sheep spleen, lungs, liver and kidneys are many times richer, from 6.11 mg to 53.11 mg per 100 g.
- 04
Niacin and selenium
Sheep shoulder meets 25 per cent of a man's niacin requirement per 100 g and adds 22.4 micrograms of selenium and 141 mg of alpha-linolenic acid, 4th of 13 in its group.
Sheep meat (lamb) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 201 kcal | 10% | 12% |
| Protein | 18.2 g | 34% | 40% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 14.3 g | ||
| Water | 66.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 6.92 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 5.1 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.1 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 141 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 75 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 5 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Iron | 1.63 mg | 9% | 6% |
| Zinc | 3.69 mg | 22% | 28% |
| Magnesium | 21 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 195 mg | ||
| Potassium | 336 mg | ||
| Sodium | 46 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.07 mg | ||
| Selenium | 22.4 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 9 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.53 mg | 25% | 32% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.15 mg | 6% | 8% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.31 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Sheep meat (lamb): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/meat-poultry-and-eggs/sheep-meat-lamb/
Where sheep meat (lamb) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 meat, poultry and eggs and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In meat, poultry and eggs | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc | 3.69 mg | 2nd of 14 | 21st of 243 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 6th of 14 | 31st of 241 |
| Energy | 201 kcal | 2nd of 14 | 80th of 257 |
Every form of sheep meat (lamb) in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep, shoulder (shown above) | 201 kcal | 18.2 g | 0 g | 1.63 mg | 5 mg |
| Chops | 119 kcal | 18 g | 0 g | 2.24 mg | 8 mg |
| Leg | 164 kcal | 21.4 g | 0 g | 1.54 mg | 7 mg |
| Brain | 118 kcal | 13.1 g | 0 g | 1.93 mg | 10 mg |
| Tongue | 187 kcal | 16.6 g | 0 g | 2.46 mg | 8 mg |
| Lungs | 87 kcal | 16.1 g | 0 g | 8.58 mg | 8 mg |
| Heart | 106 kcal | 18.2 g | 0 g | 3.07 mg | 7 mg |
| Liver | 134 kcal | 22.3 g | 0 g | 6.15 mg | 6 mg |
| Tripe | 104 kcal | 16.8 g | 0 g | 0.9 mg | 15 mg |
| Spleen | 92 kcal | 16 g | 0 g | 53.11 mg | 11 mg |
| Kidneys | 92 kcal | 16.2 g | 0 g | 6.11 mg | 14 mg |
How sheep meat (lamb) is eaten
- Rogan josh: Kashmiri sheep meat braised with Kashmiri chilli, fennel, dry ginger and curd, with no onion or tomato.
- Gushtaba: pounded sheep meat balls simmered in a spiced curd gravy, the last dish of a wazwan.
- Telangana mutton fry: sheep meat on the bone, pressure-cooked then dry-roasted with chilli, coriander and curry leaves.
- Choose leg for keema and kebabs; the shoulder's extra fat suits slow-cooked gravies, skimmed before serving.
Before you plan around it
Sheep meat carries more fat, and more saturated fat, than goat meat cut for cut, and its fat has a strong smell that some people find heavy. Trim the visible fat, favour leg and chops, and skim the gravy. Like all red meat and offal, it is rich in purines, which matters for people with gout. Ask the butcher whether the meat is sheep or goat, since both are sold as mutton and they cook differently.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about sheep meat (lamb)
What is the difference between sheep meat and goat meat?
Per 100 g of shoulder, IFCT 2017 gives sheep 201 kcal, 18.2 g protein and 14.3 g fat, while goat shoulder is leaner and slightly higher in protein. Sheep meat is softer and stronger in flavour, and both are sold as mutton in many markets.
Which cut of lamb is leanest?
Chops, at 5.2 g of fat and 119 kcal per 100 g in IFCT 2017. The leg is the best all-rounder, with 21.4 g protein and 8.7 g fat. The shoulder is fattiest at 14.3 g.
Is sheep meat high in cholesterol?
Sheep shoulder has 75 mg of cholesterol per 100 g, similar to other meats. Its bigger issue is saturated fat, 6.92 g per 100 g, the most in its group, which affects blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol does for most people.
Related foods and tables
Goat meat (mutton)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Pork
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Rabbit
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Chicken (broiler)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Emu
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mutton (goat) vs Lamb (sheep)
Side by side, per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by riboflavin (vitamin b2) per 100 g.
Calories (energy) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calories (energy) per 100 g.
All meat, poultry and eggs
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
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