Animal / meat
Steak
USDA description: Steak, NS as to type of meat, NS as to fat eaten
How steak scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
SteakModerate
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -20.4 |
| Saturated Fat | -9.6 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -6 |
| Sodium | -5 |
| Calorie Density | -4.3 |
| Heme Iron | -3.7 |
| 2 smaller factors | +0.7 |
| Final score | 52 |
Steak scores 52 out of 100 and sits in the moderate band. Middle of the range. Portion size and how often you eat it matter more here.
Penalties took 49 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.7 back. Every factor is listed in full below.
Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.
The underlying data
Nutrition and portions
Nutrition Facts
- Total Fat13.0 g
- Saturated Fat5.3 g
- Sodium367 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein26.9 g
- Calcium17 mg
- Iron2.6 mg
- Magnesium21 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate6 ug
- Water58.8 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 piece/slice, any size30 g
- 1 thintypical120 g
- 1 regular160 g
- 1 thick240 g
- 1 oz yields20 g
- 1 cubic inch17 g
- 1 cup135 g
- Quantity not specified160 g
Where the purine figure comes from
No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (beef, excludes ground).
We rate this a good confidence estimate.
How purines affect the score →Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Scoring rationale
Every factor, in full
Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.
- -20.4Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
120 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.2x for the typical portion: 144 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -9.6Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
5.31 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- -6Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 2 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -5Long-term
SodiumLong-term
367 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -4.3Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
230 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -3.7Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
2.6 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 60% is heme iron in animal foods, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +0.6Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
21 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- +0.1Long-term
FolateLong-term
6 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 1.2x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Keep looking
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Common questions
About steak
Look up any food's Food Index score
Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.