Buffalo are the largest land animal in the United States. Before North America was colonized, vast herds would roam wild. Native Americans would hunt them for their meat and hide. At the end of the 19th century, the buffalo was almost extinct due to its popularity as a food and clothing source. Early in the 20th century, the population began to recover. Bison are now bred for consumption but still remain wild animals.
Fat
Bison are grass-fed animals, which makes for lean meat. The bison meat is a red meat that contains less fat than beef. Grass-fed ground bison contains 7.2 total g of fat and 2.9 g of saturated fat, compared with 90 percent lean ground beef's 10 g of total fat and 4 g of saturated fat. Ground bison also has less fat than 84 percent lean ground pork and even less fat than ground chicken and turkey. Since bison is lower in fat, it is also lower in cholesterol. One hundred grams of ground bison contains only 55 mg of cholesterol.
Calories and Protein
One 100-g serving of bison contains 146 calories and 20 g of protein; 90 percent lean beef has 20 g of protein and 76 calories for the same serving size. Pork at 84 percent lean offers 218 calories and almost 18 g of protein. Turkey and chicken have calorie contents similar to bison, offering 149 and 146 calories, respectively. Both turkey and chicken offer around 17.5 g of protein per serving.
Vitamins and Minerals
Bison meat is high in B vitamins. One 100-g serving of rib eye offers more than 50 percent of the daily recommendation for B-12, more than 40 percent for niacin, and 25 percent or more of riboflavin and B-6. One serving of bison offers 50 percent or more of the minerals zinc and selenium. Bison is also high in iron, offering 36 percent of the daily recommended intake.
Other Considerations
For some, buffalo meat has a fuller, sweeter taste than beef without a gamey flavor, while others cannot taste the difference between cow and bison. The cuts of bison are similar to those of beef. Pound for pound, bison meat, as a gourmet meat, is a more expensive cut. According to the National Bison Association, the average market price for bison was $3.17 per pound in 2010.
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