Group · Meat
Venison
Venison from red deer is a game meat whose dark red meat is one of the leanest there is. Its make-up reflects the animal’s way of life: wild and very active, it does not develop the marbling of a farmed animal.
In terms of nutrition facts, raw: 114 kcal per 100 g for 23 g of protein and only 2.42 g of fat. It provides 6.31 µg of vitamin B12 (two and a half times the reference intake), 3.4 mg of iron, 6.37 mg of vitamin B3, 318 mg of potassium and 202 mg of phosphorus per 100 g.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 114 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 480 kJ |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Fat | 2,5 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B126,31 µg252 %
- Vitamin B36,37 mg40 %
- Vitamin B20,48 mg34 %
- Phosphorus202 mg29 %
- Vitamin B60,37 mg26 %
- Copper0,25 mg25 %
- Iron3,4 mg24 %
- Zinc2,09 mg21 %
See the other 8 nutrients
- Vitamin B10,22 mg20 %
- Potassium318 mg16 %
- Magnesium23 mg6 %
- Manganese0,04 mg2 %
- Vitamin B94 µg2 %
- Vitamin E0,2 mg2 %
- Vitamin K11,1 µg1 %
- Calcium5 mg1 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
It beats lean beef on almost every measure. 23 g of protein for 114 kcal, against 128 kcal for a beef steak, and more vitamin B12. It is one of the most interesting meats in the database.
6.31 µg of vitamin B12 per 100 g. A 150 g portion covers nearly four times the reference intake. B12 is found only in animal products, and absorption declines with age.
Its leanness calls for short cooking. With no marbling, it dries out very quickly: serve it rare or medium-rare, never beyond. For neck or shoulder cuts, long slow stewing is the only other option.
It counts as red meat. The French national nutrition and health programme guideline of 500 g a week includes game. That leaves plenty of room for three portions.
Wild game: two precautions. Cooking right through is recommended because of the risk of trichinellosis, and watch out for lead shot, which can fragment in the flesh. Pregnant women and young children should stick to farmed meats.