Buffalo (Cube Roll)

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

A red meat cousin to beef that is usually leaner, with a similar dose of iron, zinc and protein.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewing begins breakdown): Chewing loosens the muscle protein and fat marbled through the cut.
Stomach (Protein digestion starts): Stomach acid and enzymes begin breaking the protein into peptides.
Small intestine (Iron, zinc & B12 absorbed): Heme iron, zinc and B12 are absorbed here alongside amino acids.
Bloodstream (Built into red blood cells): Iron is built into haemoglobin; zinc and amino acids support immune function and muscle repair.

Timing

Any meal; the fat naturally in the cut helps absorb its own fat-soluble nutrients.

Time to effect

Weeks: A few weeks of regular iron-rich meals is roughly how long it takes red blood cell iron stores to shift measurably.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Halal, Kosher, Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

169 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

99.5 kg CO2e and 1451 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Beef (beef herd)" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £14 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Heme iron
Zinc
Complete protein

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 155.4
Protein: 23.9g
Carbohydrate: 0g
of which sugars: 0g
Fat: 6.6g
of which saturated: 3.7g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 56mg

Food vs. supplement

A 100g serving supplies close to a quarter of the adult RDA for zinc and roughly a fifth for iron, both in well-absorbed animal forms, alongside almost 24g of complete protein.

Kitchen tip

Buffalo is leaner than most beef cuts, so it can dry out with beef-length cook times — pull it a few minutes earlier and let it rest.

Common myth

“Buffalo meat is a low-fat food.” In reality: Riverine buffalo is genuinely leaner than most beef cuts, but this is still a ruminant red meat with a typical red-meat saturated fat and cholesterol profile — leaner within its category, not low-fat outright.