Which is Healthier, Goat or Lamb?

For the people of Indonesia, goat satay more popular to be a food menu than sate derived from lamb. Especially on celebrations like Eid al-Adha.

Maybe even you have never heard of sate sheep. However, the usual sheep meat you meet if you order kebab or lamb chop in the restaurant.

Sometimes you can not tell, is it mutton or lamb? So, is there any difference between these two flesh? Which is healthier?

Lamb may not be as popular as mutton in Indonesia. In fact, according to the Directorate of Nutrition of the Department of Health RI, lamb meat has a better nutritional value than goat meat per 100 grams.

In every 100 grams of lamb meat there are 206 calories, 17.1 grams protein, and 14.8 grams of fat. There is also 10 mg of calcium, 191 mg of phosphorus, 2.6 mg of iron, 0.15 mg of vitamin B1, and 66.3 grams of water.

Read also: When Eating Meat, Avoid Sweet Drinks

Sheep are richer in protein, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B1 than goat meat. Although higher in calories and fat, lamb (without fat) can be a source of protein for those who run low-fat diet.

If all the visible portion of fat in sheep meat is removed, the average fat remaining is 3.7% in raw state and 6% if it is cooked.

Many local lambs come from Java Island, such as Garut, Wonosobo, and Banjarnegara. Sheep farming can also be found in Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara. Meanwhile, imported lamb meat sold in Indonesia usually comes from Australia.

The textured lamb is more tender and the smell is less stinging than goat meat. Usually processed into lamb chop, lamb shank, or kebab. However, lamb can also replace goat meat in traditional dishes such as soups, goulash, tongseng, and satay.

Does this mean unhealthy goat meat?

The presumption of goat meat that contains high cholesterol already in the minds of people. In fact, according to the reference nutritional content of the Department of Agriculture of the United States or USDA, goat meat has a total caloric content, total fat, saturated fat, protein, and cholesterol compared to chickens, cows, pigs, and sheep.
As per 85 grams of cooked meat, it only has 122 calories, while 162 calories of chicken, 179 calories cows, 180 calories pork, and 175 calories lamb. In terms of fat any kind of meat has the least content. As of 85 gram, meat has 2.6 grams of lamb, 6.3 grams of chicken, 7.9 grams of cattle, 8.2 grams of pork, and 8.1 grams of lamb.
The content of goat cholesterol is also the lowest, which is 63.8 milligrams per 85 gram serving. This is lower than chickens that contain 76 milligrams of cholesterol, cows and pigs of 73.1 milligrams, and 78.2 milligrams of lamb.

Although the count of calories and fat content of goat meat is low, but that does not mean you have no rules in consuming it. Eating too much goat meat can certainly be bad for health.