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 are a popular type of seafood known for being low in calories and high in nutrients. But what exactly is the calorie count for a medium shrimp? Let’s dive into the nutrition facts and see how shrimp stack up in terms of calories protein, fat carbs and more.
Defining a Medium Shrimp
Before looking at the calories, it’s important to define what counts as a medium shrimp. Shrimp are categorized by size, with common types including
- Colossal – Around 16 shrimp per pound
- Jumbo – 21-25 shrimp per pound
- Extra Large – 26-30 shrimp per pound
- Large – 31-35 shrimp per pound
- Medium – 36-45 shrimp per pound
So a medium shrimp weighs approximately 0.3 ounces or 8-9 grams. It’s smaller than a jumbo or large shrimp, but bigger than a small shrimp. This middle size is what nutritional info is typically based on.
Calorie Count in a Medium Shrimp
Most nutrition databases give the following calories for a medium, raw shrimp:
- 6-7 calories in a medium shrimp (raw)
So a single average medium shrimp contains just 6-7 calories.
This calorie amount is for a raw, shell-on medium shrimp before any cooking method is applied. The calorie total can change slightly depending on factors like whether the shrimp is wild caught or farm raised. But the base calorie count falls within that 6-7 calorie range.
Nutrition Facts for Medium Shrimp
Beyond just calories, what are the full nutrition facts for a medium shrimp?
Here is the typical nutrient profile:
- Calories: 6
- Fat: 0.1g
- Carbs: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 9mg
- Sodium: 9mg
- Potassium: 11mg
- Iron: 0.14mg
- Vitamin B12: 0.2mcg
- Selenium: 7mcg
Shrimp provide a good amount of protein and minerals like selenium while being very low in carbs, fat, and calories. Their cholesterol is moderately high at 9mg per shrimp.
Calories in Cooked Medium Shrimp
The above nutrition information is for raw shrimp. Does cooking increase the calories?
Cooking methods like grilling, broiling, steaming, sautéing or baking do not add a significant amount of calories. There may be a slight calorie increase depending on any cooking fat or oil used.
As a general guideline:
- Raw medium shrimp: 6-7 calories
- Cooked medium shrimp: 8-10 calories
So cooked shrimp contains roughly the same number of calories as raw. Frying shrimp adds more oil and therefore more calories, up to about 20-25 calories per fried medium shrimp.
Calories in Shrimp Dishes
When eating shrimp in recipes, sauces and breading can increase the total calorie count. Here are some examples for common shrimp dishes:
- 5 Grilled shrimp: 50 calories
- 5 Fried shrimp: 100 calories
- Shrimp scampi (4 oz): 120 calories
- Shrimp pasta dish (1 cup): 300 calories
- Popcorn shrimp (4 oz): 230 calories
As these examples show, the calories add up quickly in appetizers, entrees and shrimp-based recipes depending on preparation methods and added ingredients. Checking calorie counts for full dishes gives a more accurate picture than just looking at plain shrimp.
Shrimp Calories Compared to Other Proteins
How do shrimp compare to other high protein foods in terms of calories?
- 3 oz chicken breast: 140 calories
- 3 oz salmon: 175 calories
- 3 oz sirloin steak: 200 calories
- 3 oz shrimp: 100 calories
Per serving, shrimp generally contain fewer calories than most other lean proteins. Combined with their high nutrition, mineral content, and versatility, their low calorie count makes shrimp a very diet-friendly seafood choice.
Best Low Calorie Ways to Eat Shrimp
To keep calories to a minimum, here are some of the best shrimp options:
- Grilled
- Steamed or boiled
- Broiled
- Air fried
- Baked
- Dry seasoning rubs vs. heavy sauces
- Served on salads vs. pasta
- Raw or cooked with cocktail sauce
Avoid deep frying or heavy, creamy preparations for low calorie shrimp meals and recipes.
Nutritional Benefits of Shrimp
Beyond their calorie count, what makes shrimp a healthy choice? Some key nutrients and benefits include:
High protein – With about 4g protein per 3 oz serving, shrimp offer muscle-building amino acids.
Low fat – Negligible fat content at just 0.1g per serving.
Selenium – Shrimp provide over 50% DV selenium, supporting thyroid health.
Vitamin B12 – A 3 oz serving contains over 100% DV B12 for energy and cell metabolism.
Anti-inflammatory – Shrimp have omega-3s and astaxanthin for reducing inflammation.
Heart health – The omega-3s in shrimp can improve cardiovascular health markers.
So shrimp offer impressive nutrition in a low calorie protein package.
Common Questions about Shrimp Calories
Here are some frequently asked questions about shrimp and calories:
Are calories listed for cooked or raw shrimp?
Nutrition info for plain shrimp without additions is for raw. Cooked is slightly higher.
Do small, medium and large shrimp have the same calories?
There is little difference. Calories per shrimp go up with size, but per ounce remains the same.
Is popcorn shrimp high in calories?
Popcorn shrimp is deep fried, increasing calories to about 230 per 4 oz serving.
Are frozen shrimp less healthy?
Frozen shrimp have similar nutrition to fresh, just watch added sodium.
What about shrimp scampi or coconut shrimp?
Added oils and butter increase overall calories compared to plain shrimp.
Conclusion
A single medium shrimp clocks in at just 6-7 calories, providing protein, selenium and vitamin B12 with minimal fat or carbs. Simple preparations like grilling, steaming or sautéing retain this low calorie profile. Fried coconut shrimp or sauced scampi will have more calories thanks to cooking methods and added ingredients. But served on their own, shrimp offer diet-friendly nutrition facts. Their high protein content, abundance of minerals and vitamins, and low calorie count of just 6-7 calories per medium shrimp make them a great choice when managing calories or eating a nutrient dense, low calorie diet.
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.