Many people will be surprised to see wild game as a high potassium food. Usually vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, and spices are the major categories mentioned. But wild game has many desirable characteristics. In the table are included those game with a ratio of potassium to sodium of better than 3 to 1. The potassium content varies from 224 for bear to 390 for beefalo for a single 3 oz (85 gm) serving.
Fat Content Differs Also
There is a big difference in the fat content of wild game versus beef in that the total fat content of wild game is generally much lower. It never reaches 18% by weight as it can for beef, and only reaches double digits for bear, pan-broiled deer, and roasted muskrat. For most wild game the fat content accounts for only 12 to 25% of calories (1.8 to 4% by weight), and is only 7% for roasted moose (0.97% by weight). This can make it a healthier choice.
The Table
All the meat listed is from wild game except for the entries for bison that were labeled “grass-fed,” and rabbit labeled “domesticated.”
The weights for the potassium and sodium are milligrams. The potassium and sodium values given are for 100 grams (about 3 1/2 oz) of food.
As usual, K is potassium, and Na is sodium.
Except for the potassium to sodium ratio (which we calculated), the source of data is: USDA National Nutrient Database Standard Reference – Release 22.
Food | Potassium | Sodium | K:Na Ratio |
Antelope, roasted | 372 | 54 | 6.9 |
Bear, simmered | 263 | 71 | 3.7 |
Beaver, roasted | 403 | 59 | 6.8 |
Beefalo, composite of cuts, roasted | 459 | 82 | 5.6 |
Bison, chuck, shoulder clod, separable lean only, 3-5 lb roast, braised |
316 | 57 | 5.5 |
Bison, ground, pan-broiled | 341 | 73 | 4.7 |
Bison, ground, grass-fed | 353 | 76 | 4.6 |
Bison, ribeye, separable lean only, 1″ steak, broiled | 371 | 52 | 7.1 |
Bison, separable lean only, roasted | 361 | 57 | 6.3 |
Bison, top round, separable lean only, 1″ steak, broiled | 382 | 41 | 9.3 |
Bison, top sirloin, separable lean only, 1″ steak, broiled | 387 | 53 | 7.3 |
Boar, wild, roasted | 396 | 60 | 6.6 |
Buffalo, water, roasted | 313 | 56 | 5.6 |
Caribou, roasted | 310 | 60 | 5.2 |
Deer, roasted | 335 | 54 | 6.2 |
Deer, ground, pan-broiled | 364 | 78 | 4.7 |
Deer, loin, separable lean only, 1″ steak, broiled | 398 | 57 | 7 |
Deer, shoulder clod, separable lean only, 3-5 lb roast, braised |
313 | 52 | 6 |
Deer, tenderloin, separable lean only, 0.5-1 lb roast, broiled |
434 | 57 | 7.6 |
Deer, top round, separable lean only, 1″ steak, broiled | 377 | 45 | 8.4 |
Elk, roasted | 328 | 61 | 5.4 |
Elk, ground, pan-broiled | 354 | 85 | 4.2 |
Elk, loin, separable lean only, broiled | 404 | 54 | 7.5 |
Elk, round, separable lean only, broiled | 392 | 51 | 7.7 |
Elk, tenderloin, separable lean only, broiled | 392 | 50 | 7.8 |
Moose, roasted | 334 | 69 | 4.8 |
Muskrat, roasted | 320 | 95 | 3.4 |
Rabbit, domesticated, composite of cuts, roasted | 383 | 47 | 8.1 |
Rabbit, domesticated, composite of cuts, stewed | 300 | 37 | 8.1 |
Rabbit, wild, stewed | 343 | 45 | 7.6 |