Shrimp Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Boiled shrimp provides 99 kcal per 100g with 24.0g protein — a protein-to-calorie ratio of 24.2g per 100 kcal ^[1]. No other common seafood matches this efficiency: cod is 17.8g/100 kcal, salmon is 12.7g/100 kcal, and tuna is 15.3g/100 kcal. Even chicken breast (18.8g/100 kcal) falls well short.

A standard 3-oz serving (85g, approximately 12 medium shrimp) delivers 20.4g protein at just 84 kcal — less than half the calories of a single large egg (72 kcal for only 6.3g protein). This combination makes shrimp one of the most protein-efficient foods available for those logging protein intake ^[1].

Research on shrimp as a nutritional source has confirmed that the protein in shrimp is highly digestible (PDCAAS score of 0.90+), with a complete essential amino acid profile including high concentrations of lysine and leucine — the amino acid most associated with muscle protein synthesis signaling ^[2].

Boiled shrimp delivers 39.6mcg selenium per 100g — 72% of the daily value ^[1]. A single 3-oz serving provides 33.7mcg selenium (61% DV). Among common proteins, only Brazil nuts (1917mcg/100g) and organ meats surpass shrimp's selenium density.

Selenium content actually increases with cooking in shrimp: from 29.6mcg raw to 39.6mcg per 100g cooked. This occurs because water loss during cooking concentrates the selenium-rich muscle tissue per gram. Grilled shrimp concentrates it further to approximately 45.0mcg per 100g ^[1].

A comprehensive nutritional perspective on shrimp confirmed that selenium in shrimp is bound to the amino acid selenomethionine, which has higher bioavailability (85-95% absorption) than the selenite form found in plant foods and supplements ^[2].

Plain boiled shrimp has 99 kcal and 0.3g fat per 100g. Breaded and fried shrimp jumps to 242 kcal and 12.3g fat — a 144% calorie increase and over 40x the fat ^[1]. The breading alone (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) adds approximately 17.6g of carbohydrates per 100g — nutrients that are essentially zero in plain shrimp.

The calorie math for a restaurant plate: 6 large fried shrimp (approximately 170g) deliver 411 kcal compared to 168 kcal for the same 6 shrimp grilled. The difference — 243 kcal — comes entirely from the breading and absorbed frying oil ^[1].

For tracking accuracy: if you're eating coconut shrimp, popcorn shrimp, or tempura shrimp, use the breaded-fried values as a baseline. Tempura batters are slightly lighter (approximately 200 kcal/100g), while thick coconut breading can push beyond 270 kcal/100g due to the coconut's added fat ^[3].

Boiled shrimp contains 189mg cholesterol per 100g — the highest among common seafood and higher than a large egg (186mg per egg). A 3-oz serving provides 161mg cholesterol, about 54% of the older 300mg daily limit ^[1].

However, dietary cholesterol guidelines have shifted significantly. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines removed the specific 300mg daily cholesterol cap, noting that for most people, dietary cholesterol has a modest effect on blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat has a much larger impact — and shrimp has only 0.05g saturated fat per 100g cooked ^[1].

Research on shrimp's nutritional profile has confirmed that while shrimp contains significant dietary cholesterol, it is extremely low in saturated fat — the macronutrient that current dietary guidelines identify as having a larger effect on blood lipid levels than dietary cholesterol itself. This context is important when interpreting the cholesterol number in isolation ^[2].

Shrimp are sold by count-per-pound: 16/20 means 16-20 shrimp per pound (jumbo, ~25g each), 21/25 is large (~20g each), 31/40 is medium (~12g each), 41/50 is small (~10g each), and 51/60 is tiny (~8g each) ^[1].

The nutrition per gram is identical regardless of size — all come from the same species. But per-piece tracking varies significantly: 1 jumbo shrimp (25g cooked) = 25 kcal, while 1 small shrimp (10g) = 10 kcal. When a recipe says 'add 12 shrimp,' the total ranges from 120 kcal (small) to 300 kcal (jumbo) ^[1].

For accurate logging: always weigh shrimp rather than counting. If counting is the only option, use the per-piece weight for your size class: jumbo 25g, large 20g, medium 12g, small 10g. Multiply by the per-100g values for your cooking method to get the accurate total ^[3].