Protein content
A 3 oz drained serving of canned salmon contains 20.9 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 42% 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 | 20.9 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 24.6 g |
| Calories per serving | 116 kcal |
| Protein density | 72% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 42% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Prepared / processed |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #173724 |
A typical 3 oz drained serving of canned salmon contains 20.9 grams of protein (24.6 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 42% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 72% of the calories in canned salmon 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 salmon ranks 35th by protein per serving, and 130th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against shrimp, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (shrimp has 20.4 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 #173724 - "Fish, Salmon, pink, canned, drained solids, without skin and bones" (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 salmon has 24.6 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz drained serving (85 g) provides 20.9 g.
Yes. Canned salmon 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 salmon contains 20.9 g of protein, about 42% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Canned salmon is a very good source of protein, and about 72% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against shrimp, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (shrimp has 20.4 g per 3 oz cooked).
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