Protein content
A 3 oz drained serving of canned crab meat contains 15.2 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 30% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz drained (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 15.2 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 17.9 g |
| Calories per serving | 71 kcal |
| Protein density | 86% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 30% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #171966 |
A typical 3 oz drained serving of canned crab meat contains 15.2 grams of protein (17.9 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 30% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 86% of the calories in canned crab meat come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Among the 121 seafood in the database, canned crab meat ranks 98th by protein per serving, and 246th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against ocean perch, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (ocean perch has 15.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving above is measured by weight at 85 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #171966 - "Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Canned crab meat has 17.9 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz drained serving (85 g) provides 15.2 g.
Yes. Canned crab meat is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
A 3 oz drained serving of canned crab meat contains 15.2 g of protein, about 30% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Canned crab meat is a very good source of protein, and about 86% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against ocean perch, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (ocean perch has 15.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
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