Despite being low in calories, shrimp contains many nutrients, including iodine and antioxidants, that may offer health benefits. But it is high in cholesterol.
Many nutrients are found in high amounts in this food, including iodine, which isn’t found in many other foods.
On the other hand, some people claim that shrimp is unhealthy due to its high cholesterol content.
Additionally, it’s commonly believed that farm-raised shrimp may have some negative health effects compared with wild-caught shrimp.
This article explores the evidence to determine if shrimp is a healthy food to include in your diet.
It’s quite low in calories, providing only 84 calories in a 3-ounce serving (1).
Additionally, the same serving size provides more than 9 different vitamins and minerals (1).
Here’s an overview of the nutrients in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of shrimp (1):
Also, shrimp is one of the best foods to get iodine, which is a mineral that many people don’t get enough of. Iodine is required for proper thyroid function and brain health (2).
Shrimp is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (3).
A lot of people are afraid of high-cholesterol foods because they think they raise the cholesterol level in your blood and make you more likely to get heart disease.
But studies show that this might not be true for most people, since only 25% of people are sensitive to dietary cholesterol. For the rest, dietary cholesterol may only have a small impact on blood cholesterol levels (4).
This is because your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your blood, and when you eat foods high in cholesterol, your liver makes less of it.
What’s more, shrimp contains several nutrients that may actually boost health, such as omega-3 fatty acids (3).
Studies show that shrimp is one of the few foods that is not high in both cholesterol and saturated fats.
Even though more research is needed to fully understand shrimp’s impact on heart health, it does have many health benefits that may outweigh the cholesterol it contains.
Astaxanthin is a component of algae, which is consumed by shrimp. For this reason, shrimp is a major source of astaxanthin. In fact, this antioxidant is responsible for the reddish color of shrimp cells (7).
When you consume astaxanthin, it may help protect against inflammation by preventing free radicals from damaging your cells. It’s been studied for its role in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases (7).
Shrimp is a delicious and popular type of seafood that is enjoyed around the world. But when watching your diet and calories you may wonder – how many calories are actually in just 1 shrimp? Get ready to find out!
I love shrimp It’s one of my absolute favorite foods The sweet, succulent taste of a perfectly cooked shrimp is hard to beat in my opinion. Whether it’s a shrimp cocktail, shrimp scampi, or a steaming bowl of shrimp and grits, I’m all about it.
But as much as I adore shrimp, I also try to eat healthy and be mindful of my calorie intake. So I’ve done some research to find out exactly how many calories are in a single shrimp. Here’s what I discovered.
Calorie Counts Vary By Shrimp Size
The number of calories in 1 shrimp depends on the size of the shrimp. Here are some common shrimp sizes and their calorie counts:
- Small shrimp – 5 calories
- Medium shrimp – 6 calories
- Large shrimp – 9 calories
- Extra large shrimp or prawns – 9 calories
As you can see, calories increase as the shrimp get bigger, but even a large shrimp only has 9 calories. So shrimp is generally a low calorie food.
The calorie counts above are for shrimp that have been cooked. Raw shrimp would have slightly fewer calories.
Nutrition Facts for 1 Shrimp
In addition to calories, what other nutrition information is included in a single shrimp? Here are the full nutrition facts for 1 large cooked shrimp (9 calories):
- Total Fat: 0.14g
- Cholesterol: 12mg
- Sodium: 37mg
- Total Carbs: 0.07g
- Protein: 1.66g
Shrimp is very high in protein, with 1 large shrimp containing about 1.7 grams. It’s also low in fat and carbs. Cholesterol is moderately high compared to other protein sources, but a single shrimp provides just 12mg so it’s easy to fit into a healthy diet.
How Shrimp Compares to Other High Protein Foods
Shrimp is an excellent source of protein without too many additional calories. How does it compare nutritionally to other high protein foods?
- 3 ounces of chicken breast – 140 calories, 30g protein
- 3 ounces of salmon – 175 calories, 22g protein
- 1 cup edamame – 190 calories, 17g protein
- 3 ounces extra lean ground beef – 150 calories, 21g protein
Per calorie, shrimp provides more protein than these other options. Salmon is a close second for protein-per-calorie ratio.
Ways to Enjoy Low Calorie Shrimp Meals
The small calorie count for an individual shrimp adds up slowly, so it’s easy to build low calorie shrimp meals. Here are some of my favorites:
- Shrimp salad – Mix cooked shrimp with lettuce, tomatoes, lemon juice and light dressing. Very refreshing.
- Shrimp tacos – Just need 3-4 shrimp per taco plus veggies. Taco shells add very few calories.
- Shrimp skewers – Alternate shrimp and veggies like cherry tomatoes and bell peppers on a skewer. Grill or broil.
- Shrimp stir fry – Cook shrimp with broccoli, carrots, bell pepper and onion. Serve over brown rice.
- Shrimp and zucchini noodles – Sautee shrimp and mix with zucchini spirals instead of heavy pasta.
With so many options, it’s easy to enjoy shrimp multiple times a week while still watching calories.
The Takeaway on Shrimp Calories
So how many calories are in 1 shrimp? The exact number depends on the size, but ranges from 5 calories for small shrimp up to 9 calories for large shrimp. Even at the high end, the calorie count per shrimp is very reasonable.
Shrimp provides an impressive amount of protein for the small number of calories. It’s low in fat and carbs as well.
Pay attention to portion sizes, as the calories can add up quickly for large servings. But for a healthy protein source that’s low in calories per ounce, shrimp is an excellent choice!
Enjoy shrimp guilt-free by mixing it into salads, tacos, skewers, stir fries and more. This versatile shellfish can be a regular part of your diet while still maintaining a calorie deficit.
So next time you’re craving seafood, don’t shy away from shrimp! One jumbo shrimp only sets you back around 9 calories, so dig in and get your protein on.
Heart and brain health
Many studies have found astaxanthin may help strengthen arteries, which may reduce the risk of heart attacks. It may also help increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, an important factor in heart health (8).
In addition, astaxanthin may be beneficial for brain health. Its anti-inflammatory properties may prevent damage to your brain cells that often leads to memory loss and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s (7).
Even with these results, more studies on humans are needed to find out what effect astaxanthin in shrimp may have on health in general.
Due to the high demand for shrimp in the United Sates, it’s often imported from other countries.
Between 75 and 80% of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported from other countries, like Thailand, China, Canada, Indonesia, and Vietnam (9).
Although this helps increase access to shrimp, most imported shrimp is farm-raised, which means it’s grown in industrial tanks that are submerged in bodies of water (10).
Farm-raised seafood from other countries is frequently treated with antibiotics due to its high susceptibility to disease. However, the United States does not permit the use of antibiotics in shrimp and other shellfish (10).
For this reason, it’s illegal to import shrimp that contains antibiotics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for inspecting imported shrimp to ensure it doesn’t contain antibiotics (11).
However, due to the high volume of shrimp imports, the FDA is unable to regulate all of them. Because of this, farm-raised shrimp contaminated with antibiotics has the potential to enter the U.S. food supply (12).
Using antibiotics in shrimp has not been confirmed to have any major adverse health effects. However, it may lead to antibiotic resistance, which can cause outbreaks of diseases that do not respond to antibiotic treatment (13).
If you are worried about antibiotics in shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp instead. These shrimp are never given antibiotics. Additionally, you can be assured that shrimp caught and prepared in the United States does not contain antibiotics.
Shellfish, including shrimp, are classified as one of the top nine food allergies in the United States, along with fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, and soy (14).
The most common trigger of shrimp allergies is tropomyosin, a protein found in shellfish. Other proteins in shrimp that may trigger an allergic reaction include arginine kinase and hemocyanin (15).
Symptoms of shellfish allergy
Symptoms of shrimp allergies vary and may include (16):
- tingling in the throat
- digestive issues
- breathing difficulties
- skin reactions
Some people with shrimp allergies may have anaphylactic reactions, as well. This is a dangerous, sudden reaction that can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and even death if it is not treated immediately (16).
If you’re allergic to shrimp, the only way to prevent allergic reaction is to completely avoid eating it.
In some instances, even the vapors from cooking shrimp can trigger a reaction. So, those with shrimp allergies must also avoid situations where they may be exposed to it indirectly (16).
It’s important to choose high quality, fresh shrimp that isn’t damaged, infected, or contaminated.
When purchasing raw shrimp, make sure they’re firm. The shells should be translucent and grayish-green, pinkish tan, or light pink in color. Blackened edges or black spots on the shells may indicate quality loss (17).
Additionally, raw and cooked shrimp should have a mild, “ocean-like” or salty smell. Shrimp with an overwhelming “fishy” or ammonia-like odor is likely spoiled and unsafe to consume.
You should only buy shrimp from a reputable and knowledgeable seller who can answer your questions about where the shrimp came from and how it was handled.
What is the number of Calories in Shrimp?
FAQ
How many calories are in a single Shrimp?
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Cooked Shrimp (3 oz serving)
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Fat(g)
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Cals
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1 medium
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0.10
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6
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1 large
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0.12
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7
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10 medium
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1.04
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64
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