How Many Calories Are in Crab Legs? A Detailed Look at This Seafood Favorite

Crab legs are a delicious and popular seafood option enjoyed by many. But if you’re watching your calories or macronutrients, you may be wondering – just how many calories are in crab legs? The answer depends on a few factors.

In this article, we’ll take a detailed look at the calorie and nutrition profile of different types of crab legs. We’ll cover:

• The most popular types of crab legs and their calorie content
• Factors that affect the calories in crab legs
• Other nutrition facts and health benefits of crab legs
• Tips for enjoying crab legs while managing calories

So let’s dive in and find out everything you need to know about the calories in crab legs!

The Most Popular Types of Crab Legs

There are a few main varieties of crab that people commonly eat the legs of. These include:

Snow Crab Legs

Snow crab legs come from snow crabs which are found in the colder waters of the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans. Snow crab legs are known for their delicate sweet flavor and tender meat.

A 3 ounce serving of snow crab legs contains about 100 calories.

King Crab Legs

The largest of the crab species, king crabs are found in cold Alaskan waters. King crab legs are thicker and meatier than other crab leg varieties.

A 3 ounce serving of king crab legs has around 105 calories.

Dungeness Crab Legs

Dungeness crabs live off the Pacific coast of North America Dungeness crab legs have a slightly sweeter taste and flakier texture compared to snow crab legs

3 ounces of Dungeness crab legs contains 90 calories.

Stone Crab Legs

Stone crabs live in warmer Atlantic ocean waters and have firm, tasty meat. Their claws are often eaten.

A 3 ounce serving of stone crab claws has 105 calories.

As you can see, the calorie content of a typical 3 ounce serving of the most popular crab leg varieties ranges from about 90 to 105 calories. King and snow crab legs are at the higher end, while Dungeness crab legs are slightly lower in calories.

What Impacts the Calories in Crab Legs?

A few key factors affect the calorie content in a serving of crab legs. These include:

Type of Crab

As noted above, there are slight differences in calories for different crab species. King and snow crab legs are higher in calories than Dungeness crab legs per serving.

Cooking Method

Crab legs are commonly boiled, steamed, or baked. These low calorie cooking methods have minimal effects on the crab legs’ calorie content. However, battering and frying adds more calories from the oil.

Serving Size

Obviously a larger serving means more calories. A typical restaurant order of crab legs may contain 6-8 ounces, upping the calories.

Added Ingredients

What you eat with your crab legs affects their calorie content. Dipping in butter or using high calorie sauces boosts the calories significantly. Lemon juice or light sauces have negligible effects.

Nutrition Facts for Crab Legs

Beyond just calories, what are some of the other nutrition facts for crab legs? Here is an overview:

• High in protein – Crab meat is very high quality protein, with over 16g in a 3 ounce serving. This supports muscle growth and recovery.

• Low in fat – Crab legs contain less than 1g of fat per serving, making them very low fat. Most of the fat is healthy omega-3s.

• Good source of minerals – Crab legs provide minerals like zinc, selenium, copper, and magnesium. These support immune function, heart health, thyroid function, and energy levels.

• Contains vitamin B12 – Crab is one of the richest sources of vitamin B12, which helps form red blood cells and maintain nerve function.

• Low carb – With less than 1g net carbs per serving, crab legs fit into low carb diets like keto.

• High in sodium – Crab legs contain about 25% of the daily recommended sodium per serving. Those limiting sodium should take note.

So crab legs provide high quality protein, healthy fats, and important vitamins and minerals. Their main downside is higher sodium levels, so be mindful of this.

Health Benefits of Eating Crab Legs

In addition to being tasty, crab legs offer some nice health benefits. Here are a few of the top benefits of adding crab legs to your diet:

• May support heart health – The omega-3 fatty acids in crab help reduce inflammation and lower heart disease risk. The selenium also supports heart health.

• Boosts brain function – The copper in crab helps maintain cognitive function, while the B12 is critical for nerve function and brain health.

• Aids muscle building – The abundance of protein supports muscle protein synthesis needed for building and maintaining muscle mass. This makes crab legs a good choice for athletes.

• Strengthens bones – Crab legs provide decent amounts of calcium and phosphorus for bone health, as well as vitamin D for absorption.

• May prevent anemia – With a high iron content and plenty of B12, crab legs can help prevent anemia and keep red blood cell counts optimal.

• Supports thyroid function – For proper thyroid hormone production, selenium is key – and crab legs are a top source of this mineral.

So by consuming crab legs in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet, you can leverage these health benefits.

Tips for Managing Calories When Eating Crab Legs

If you want to enjoy crab legs while controlling calories, here are some helpful tips:

• Stick to 3-4 ounces per serving – This provides a good amount of protein while keeping calories in a reasonable range.

• Choose lighter cooking methods – Steaming, grilling, or baking are best. Avoid anything battered or fried.

• Skip the butter – Melted butter adds a lot of extra calories. Use lemon instead or just eat the crab legs plain.

• Watch the dipping sauces – Many creamy sauces pile on calories. Opt for lighter options like mustard, hot sauce, or vinegar-based mignonette.

• Fill up on non-starchy veggies – Eat your crab legs with a big serving of steamed broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, etc.

• Avoid carb-heavy sides – Skip options like biscuits, corn bread, rice, or pasta with crab legs. Focus on veggies instead.

• Hydrate with water – Drink water instead of sugary sodas or alcohol, which add excess calories.

Following these tips will allow you to enjoy moderate portion sizes of delicious crab legs without going overboard on calories.

The Bottom Line on Calories in Crab Legs

Crab legs are a tasty source of lean protein, healthy fats, and important vitamins and minerals. Calorie-wise, a typical 3-4 ounce serving ranges from 90 to 105 calories depending on the type of crab. Larger portion sizes, fried varieties, and added butter or sauces increase the calories significantly.

By practicing portion control, choosing healthier preparations, and pairing crab legs with non-starchy vegetables, you can feel good about including this seafood in your diet. In moderation, crab legs provide great nutrition and several health benefits without costing too many calories.

So next time you’re wondering “how many calories are in crab legs?”, use this article as a guide. Track your portions, limit additions, and balance crab legs with other healthy foods in your diet. This allows you to enjoy the delicious taste and nutrition of crab legs while keeping calories under control.