Scallops Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

A single large sea scallop weighs approximately 30g (yielding 33 kcal steamed), while a bay scallop weighs approximately 10g (11 kcal steamed) ^[1]. When a recipe calls for '12 scallops,' the calorie total ranges from 132 kcal (bay) to 396 kcal (sea) — a 3x difference from the same count.

Sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) are harvested from deep Atlantic waters and have a sweet, buttery flavor with firm texture ideal for searing. Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) come from shallow estuaries, are sweeter and more tender, and are typically used in pastas and stir-fries ^[2].

Per 100g, both types share identical nutrition (69 kcal raw, 111 kcal steamed) — the difference is entirely in the piece weight. For tracking: always weigh scallops rather than counting. A '4 scallop' appetizer means 120g of sea scallops but only 40g of bay scallops ^[1].

Raw scallops deliver 334mg phosphorus per 100g — 27% of the daily value ^[1]. Steamed scallops concentrate this further to 426mg (34% DV). Among common seafood, only canned sardines (490mg) surpass scallop phosphorus levels, and they come with 208 kcal vs scallops' 69.

Four pan-seared sea scallops (120g) provide 498mg phosphorus — 40% of the daily value from a single appetizer course. Phosphorus works in tandem with calcium for skeletal maintenance and is a structural component of every cell membrane in the body ^[2].

The phosphorus in scallops is primarily in the form of organic phosphorus (bound to proteins and nucleic acids), which has approximately 40-60% absorption rate — lower than the inorganic phosphorus added to processed foods, but more consistent with the body's regulatory systems ^[1].

Steamed scallops provide 2.13mcg vitamin B12 per 100g — 89% of the daily value ^[1]. Four sea scallops (120g) deliver 2.56mcg B12 — 107% DV, fully covering the daily requirement from a single appetizer. Raw scallops start at 1.41mcg (59% DV), and cooking concentrates B12 as water evaporates.

Among bivalves, scallops rank between oysters (16mcg/100g cooked) and clams (98.9mcg/100g cooked) for B12 — but scallops are the bivalve people most commonly eat as a whole, unprocessed serving. Nobody tracks 100g of raw oysters as a weeknight protein ^[1].

Research on marine bivalve nutritional profiles has confirmed that B12 in scallops is predominantly in the methylcobalamin form, which may have superior cellular uptake compared to the cyanocobalamin form used in most supplements ^[2].

Raw scallop sodium is listed at 392mg per 100g in the USDA database ^[1]. However, this reflects a mix of wet-packed (treated with sodium tripolyphosphate — STP) and dry-packed (untreated) scallops. Dry-packed scallops typically have 250-300mg sodium, while heavily STP-treated scallops can reach 800mg or higher per 100g.

STP treatment serves two purposes: it extends shelf life and causes scallops to absorb water, increasing their weight by 15-25%. This means wet-packed scallops are heavier per piece but diluted in protein — you're paying for, and tracking, added water ^[1].

For tracking accuracy: if your scallops expel milky white liquid when searing and don't develop a golden crust, they're likely wet-packed. Reduce protein per 100g by approximately 10-15% and increase sodium by 50-100% compared to the USDA baseline values ^[2].

The preparation spectrum for scallops spans a wide calorie range: 69 kcal raw → 111 kcal steamed → 118 kcal broiled → 129 kcal pan-seared → 216 kcal breaded fried ^[1]. The pan-sear technique (2-3 minutes per side in a small amount of butter or oil) adds only 18 kcal over steamed while creating the golden Maillard crust that defines restaurant-quality scallops.

The calorie efficiency of pan-searing comes from the technique itself: dry-packed scallops, patted dry, need only 1 teaspoon of oil per 4 scallops (40 kcal divided across 120g of protein = 0.33 kcal added per gram). Breading adds flour, egg, and breadcrumbs — 10.1g of carbohydrates that don't exist in the scallop itself ^[1].

For the best logging accuracy with pan-seared scallops: use the pan-seared variant values (129 kcal/100g), which already account for a small amount of cooking fat. If you add extra butter for basting, log that separately as an added ingredient ^[2].