This study was conducted to determine if differences in blood chemistry are associated with a high fat ground beef diet. Ten crossbred gilts were allocated to a red meat (GB; cooked ground beef; 60% lean) or high-carbohydrate diet (CON). Fasted concentration of circulating triglycerides was not different and there was no evidence of cardiac ventricular inflammation across treatments (P > 0.21). Ground beef gilts had higher total and LDL cholesterol (P = 0.02); however, oil red stained aortic loops showed no indication of atherosclerosis or fat deposits. Gilts fed ground beef had lower insulin-like growth factor-1, total carbon dioxide (CO2) and bicarbonate (HCO3; P < 0.05) and greater fasted glucose concentration (P = 0.04). More research is necessary to determine whether high fat or high carbohydrate diets are the greater risk factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders.