Whitefish Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Baked whitefish delivers 172 kcal and 7.5g fat per 100g — making it fattier per calorie than many fish people consider 'oily' ^[1]. By comparison: tilapia has 2.65g fat, cod has 0.86g, and even swordfish has only 5.1g. The name 'whitefish' is misleading — lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a member of the salmon family (Salmonidae) and shares its relatives' higher fat content.

The fat profile is favorable: approximately 1.8g of omega-3 fatty acids per 100g cooked — comparable to canned salmon (1.8g) and higher than most other freshwater fish ^[1]. A 3-oz serving (85g) provides 1.55g omega-3, nearing the common recommendation of 250-500mg EPA+DHA daily from a single serving.

Research on the fatty acid composition of Coregonus species has documented that whitefish from cold, deep-lake habitats tend to accumulate higher levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids compared to warm-water species, reflecting both diet and cold-water metabolic adaptations ^[2].

Smoked whitefish (FDC 175187) has 108 kcal and 0.93g fat per 100g — down from 172 kcal and 7.5g fat in the baked version ^[1]. That is an 87% fat reduction — from 7.5g to under 1g — caused by the hot-smoking process rendering out most of the fish's intramuscular lipids.

This fat loss during smoking is dramatic and counter-intuitive (most people assume smoked fish is fattier). The result is that smoked whitefish has a macronutrient profile closer to smoked haddock (116 kcal, 0.96g fat) than to the fresh whitefish it was made from ^[1].

The tradeoff is sodium: smoking adds brine curing that pushes sodium from 65mg (baked) to 1,009mg (smoked) per 100g — a 15.5x increase. A typical deli portion (60g) of smoked whitefish delivers 65 kcal, 14g protein, and 605mg sodium. The protein-to-sodium ratio is the key tracking variable for smoked whitefish ^[1].

Baked whitefish provides 346mg phosphorus per 100g (28% DV) — higher than most fish including halibut (287mg), haddock (278mg), and cod (267mg) ^[1]. A 3-oz serving delivers 294mg phosphorus (24% DV) alongside meaningful amounts of six different B vitamins.

The B-vitamin breadth is unusual: thiamine (14% DV), riboflavin (12% DV), niacin (24% DV), B6 (20% DV), pantothenic acid (17% DV), and B12 (40% DV) all from a single food ^[1]. Most fish are strong in only B12 and niacin — whitefish delivers all six B vitamins at 10%+ DV per 100g.

The zinc content (1.27mg, 12% DV) and magnesium (42mg, 10% DV) round out the micronutrient profile. Whitefish ranks among the top 15% of all foods for micronutrient breadth per 100g serving, delivering meaningful amounts of 14 different vitamins and minerals above 10% DV ^[1].

Gefilte fish — the traditional Ashkenazi Jewish preparation — blends whitefish (sometimes with pike or carp), eggs, matzo meal, sugar, and onion into poached fish dumplings. The result: 84 kcal, 8.6g protein, and 7.5g carbs per 100g — a dramatically different profile from plain whitefish ^[1].

The protein drops from 24.5g to 8.6g per 100g because the fish is diluted with matzo meal and broth. Sodium rises to 595mg per 100g from added salt and broth. A single piece of commercial gefilte fish (~70g) logs at 59 kcal, 6g protein, and 417mg sodium ^[1].

For tracking: commercial jarred gefilte fish varies substantially by brand — some use primarily whitefish while others use a blend of carp and pike. Check labels for the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio: higher-quality products have 10-12g protein per piece vs. 5-6g in economy versions ^[1].

Whitefish, trout, and salmon are all Salmonidae family members with higher fat content than typical white fish. Whitefish: 172 kcal, 7.5g fat, 1.8g omega-3 per 100g baked. Rainbow trout: 150 kcal, 6.6g fat, 1.2g omega-3. Atlantic salmon (farmed): 208 kcal, 13.4g fat, 2.1g omega-3 ^[1].

Per calorie, whitefish delivers the most omega-3 of the three: 10.5mg omega-3 per kcal vs. trout (8.0mg/kcal) and salmon (10.1mg/kcal). Whitefish and salmon are nearly tied for omega-3 efficiency, but whitefish costs less per pound in Great Lakes markets ^[1].

The main tracking advantage of smoked whitefish over smoked salmon is calories: smoked whitefish at 108 kcal vs. smoked salmon at approximately 117 kcal per 100g — a modest difference, but smoked whitefish has dramatically less fat (0.93g vs. 4.3g). The tradeoff is higher sodium in smoked whitefish (1,009mg vs. ~784mg) ^[1].