Crab Meat vs. Shrimp
Nutrition comparison of Crab Meat and Shrimp
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
crab meat
versus
shrimp
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in crab meat and shrimp:
- Both crab meat and shrimp are high in calcium and protein.
- Crab meat has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Crab meat is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Crab Meat (Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned) and Shrimp (Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of calories - crab meat has 83 calories per 100 grams and shrimp has 71 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, crab meat is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to shrimp per calorie. Crab meat has a macronutrient ratio of 92:0:9 and for shrimp, 71:9:20 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Crab Meat | Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 92% | 71% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 9% |
| Fat | 9% | 20% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both shrimp and crab meat are low in carbohydrates - shrimp has 0.91g of total carbs per 100 grams and crab meat does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both crab meat and shrimp are high in protein. Crab meat has 31% more protein than shrimp - crab meat has 17.9g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both crab meat and shrimp are low in saturated fat - crab meat has 0.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.26g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both crab meat and shrimp are low in trans fat - crab meat has 0.01g of trans fat per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.02g of trans fat.
cholesterol
Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of cholesterol - crab meat has 97mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and shrimp has 126mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Crab meat has more Vitamin C than shrimp - crab meat has 3.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and shrimp does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Shrimp has 53 times more Vitamin A than crab meat - crab meat has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and shrimp has 54ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Shrimp and crab meat contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - shrimp has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and crab meat does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - crab meat has 1.8mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and shrimp has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - crab meat has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Crab meat has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12. Both crab meat and shrimp contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Crab Meat | Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.093 MG | 0.015 MG |
| Niacin | 2.747 MG | 1.778 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.997 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.156 MG | 0.161 MG |
| Folate | 51 UG | 19 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.33 UG | 1.11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both crab meat and shrimp are high in calcium. Crab meat has 69% more calcium than shrimp - crab meat has 91mg of calcium per 100 grams and shrimp has 54mg of calcium.
iron
Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of iron - crab meat has 0.5mg of iron per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Crab meat is a great source of potassium and it has 129% more potassium than shrimp - crab meat has 259mg of potassium per 100 grams and shrimp has 113mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both crab meat and shrimp contain significant amounts of DHA and EPA.
| Crab Meat | Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.006 G |
| DHA | 0.067 G | 0.07 G |
| EPA | 0.101 G | 0.068 G |
| DPA | 0.009 G | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.186 G | 0.15 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, shrimp has more linoleic acid than crab meat per 100 grams.
| Crab Meat | Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.006 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.02 G | 0.095 G |
| Total | 0.02 G | 0.101 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Crab Meat g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Shrimp g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does crab meat or shrimp contain more calories in 100 grams?Crab meat and shrimp contain similar amounts of calories - crab meat has 83 calories in 100g and shrimp has 71 calories.
Is crab meat or shrimp better for protein?
Both crab meat and shrimp are high in protein. Crab meat has 30% more protein than shrimp - crab meat has 17.9g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.
Does crab meat or shrimp contain more calcium?
Both crab meat and shrimp are high in calcium. Crab meat has 70% more calcium than shrimp - crab meat has 91mg of calcium in 100 grams and shrimp has 54mg of calcium.