Are prawns high in protein?

Love a garlic prawn pizza or a bowl of prawn linguine? If you’re looking to up your protein intake, you might be wondering whether prawns contribute to your efforts.

The good news is that they absolutely do — and more. Prawns can offer numerous nutritional benefits that’ll not only boost your protein count but your vitamin and mineral count, too.

Here’s why we love them.

Why is protein important?

Protein is essential for several reasons. It builds and repairs tissues, particularly muscle tissue, which is crucial after you’ve worked out or suffered an injury. It also helps with hormone regulation and energy production. Lastly, protein supports your immune system, along with the health of your bones, nails, skin and hair.

As far as weight management goes, protein is vital [1]. The lean muscle mass it builds is beneficial because it helps burn calories, even in a resting state.

Protein also takes longer to digest and influences the hormones that control fullness and hunger, meaning it can increase satiety and help reduce the desire to eat. It also boosts metabolism and helps stabilise blood sugar levels, which can curb the urge to overeat.

How much protein do prawns have?

So, how much protein can you get from prawns? There's around 24g of protein per 100g, which equates to 3-4 large cooked prawns [2]. And, given a typical serving size is often much bigger, it stands to reason that you could rack up quite a bit of protein in just one sitting.

Not only that, but prawns are considered a complete protein. This means they contain all 9 amino acids, which your body needs for several kinds of important functions.

Plus, even though prawns are a rich source of high-quality protein, they’re surprisingly low in carbs, saturated fat and calories.

A 100g serving contains next to no carbs (0.48g to be exact), minimal saturated fat (0.3g) and around 71 calories (297 kilojoules)[2]. This makes prawns an excellent source of lean protein — the kind of protein we prefer to go for.

You might be curious how the protein in prawns stacks up to other sources of protein — particularly animal ones like chicken, beef and eggs. 

If we look first at chicken breast, a 100g serving provides about 31g of protein and 165 calories (690kj), making it a higher-protein but higher-calorie option compared to prawns [3].

A beef steak contains just over 20g of protein and 164 calories (686kj) per 100g, while beef mince has 17.5g of protein and 243 calories (1016kj) [4][5].

Whole-boiled eggs have a little over 12g of protein and 143 calories (598kj) per 100g, which is about 2 large eggs [6]. However, many prefer to isolate the egg white to up their protein intake. These have nearly 11g of protein and 52 calories (217kj) per 100g, equivalent to around 3 egg whites [7].

What other nutrients do prawns have?

But that’s not all the health benefits they offer. Prawns are also packed with a bunch of vitamins and minerals, which is why they can be such a valuable addition to a healthy diet.

Here are some of the good things found in 100g of prawns [2]:

• Phosphorus: This essential mineral is crucial for bone health, tissue repair and energy production. There’s 237mg of phosphorous in 100g of prawns or about 34% of your RDI.
• Calcium: Calcium plays an important role in bone and teeth health, among many other vital functions. 100g of prawns has about 70mg of calcium or 7% of your RDI.
• Iron: Iron is important because it helps replenish red blood cells with oxygen. In 100g of prawns, you’ll find 0.51mg of iron or over 6% of your RDI.
• Zinc: You need zinc because it supports a healthy immune system and helps with protein synthesis. There’s 1.64mg of the stuff (or nearly 20% of your RDI) in 100g of prawns.
• Selenium: Selenium is essential for thyroid function and DNA synthesis. Prawns are a particularly good source of selenium, delivering 19.5mcg or 35% of your RDI [8].
• Magnesium: Magnesium helps your muscles and nerves function, plus it’s involved in energy production and a bunch of other important tasks. In 100g of prawns, there are 39mg of magnesium or over 12.5% of your RDI.
• B vitamins: Prawns are a great source of several B vitamins, including niacin, riboflavin B5, B6 and B12.
• Vitamin E: There's over 20 times more vitamin E in prawns than in chicken or beef.
• Omega 3s fatty acids: Prawns contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for heart and brain health, and reducing inflammation. Just note that prawns are not the richest source of them. Instead, oily fish like salmon and mackerel are better options if you’re looking to seriously boost your fatty acid consumption.

Do prawns lose protein when you cook them?

Prawns have to be cooked before you eat them to avoid the risk of food poisoning, but you might be wondering whether this can affect their protein content.

You’ll be glad to know that it doesn’t. Proteins and the essential amino acids those proteins contain remain fairly stable when subjected to heat. This means cooking prawns won’t massively impact their nutritional content.

In fact, cooked prawns have more protein per 100g — but this is simply because prawns lose a lot of moisture during the cooking process, so you have a higher number of prawns per 100g [2][8].

That being said, some vitamins and minerals aren’t so resilient to heat — like B vitamins. Preparing your prawns using gentler methods such as poaching and boiling, and only heating them until they’re just cooked through, can help retain higher levels of those essential nutrients.

Are there any risks with eating prawns?

Prawns are a pretty safe food to eat, as long as they’re properly cooked. But, there are a few things to keep in mind.

They should be avoided if you have a shellfish allergy

Shellfish allergies are the most common food allergy, affecting an estimated 2% of people [9]. Prawns are a type of shellfish, so they should obviously be kept completely off the table if you're allergic.

They’re high in cholesterol

Prawns are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat, which means they’re unlikely to raise ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. That being said, if you’ve already got high cholesterol, experts recommend steering clear of dietary cholesterol sources [10].

Prawns contain about 189mg of cholesterol per 100g — something to keep in mind if you’re watching your cholesterol consumption.

They can be high in sodium

Per 100g of prawns, there’s about 111mg of sodium — this equates to roughly 5% of your RDI [2]. Eating a modest serving of prawns may not be an issue, but sodium content can quickly ramp up if you eat a lot.

They can contain mercury

Prawns are relatively low in mercury compared to many other types of seafood, so if you only eat them occasionally, they’re unlikely to do much damage. However, large quantities may up your mercury intake [11].

They should never be eaten raw

We’ve covered this one already, but it bears repeating. Raw prawns run the risk of being contaminated with harmful bacteria and parasites, potentially leading to food poisoning.

Can you eat prawns every day?

There’s no solid reason why you can’t. Experts generally recommend eating 2-3 servings of seafood per week, which includes prawns [12][13]. However, to ensure you’re getting a balanced nutritional profile, you might want to mix up your proteins.

Other proteins like chicken, beef, eggs and tuna, as well as plant-based sources such as tofu and nuts, deliver additional nutritional benefits that you might miss out on if you’re relying on prawns as your main (or only) protein. 

10 ways to eat more prawns

If you’re keen to incorporate prawns into your diet, there are several ways to do so. Prawns are highly versatile and can be cooked and served in several (delicious) ways. Here are 10 of them.

1. Eat them plain

Prawns are incredibly tasty on their own. Gently cook by boiling or poaching, then enjoy them plain, with a squeeze of lemon, or make an easy, healthy dressing with plain yoghurt and whatever flavourings you like: chopped fresh herbs, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce or soy. Bonus: plain yoghurt is also packed with protein!

2. Add them to salads

A salad is an excellent way of getting lots of nutrients in one go. Make a summery salad with prawns, cherry tomatoes, mango, baby spinach and a lime dressing, which delivers protein and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

3. Make a stir-fry or fried rice

Prawns cook fairly quickly, making them an ideal protein for stir-fries. They pair particularly well with flavours like garlic, ginger and chilli.

If you prefer fried rice, prawns can be a really good addition. You could throw in some whole prawns or go for mini-cooked shrimp, which are equally protein-rich.

4. Barbecue them

Barbecuing is not only tasty, but it's also a great way to cook prawns without adding heaps of fat. Simply marinate your prawns in your favourite flavours, then throw them on the barbie until just cooked.

5. Prepare a prawn pasta or risotto

Prawns pair nicely with bold flavours like basil, lemon, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes — all of which work well with pasta or risotto.

If you’re making a pasta or risotto dish, make sure to watch the addition of rich ingredients like butter, cream and cheese, which are high in saturated fat.

6. Top a pizza

Prawns are a hugely versatile pizza topping. You could pile your pizza with prawns, chillis, red onion or pesto, or you could add other types of seafood to make a protein-filled frutti de mare.

7. Throw them on a sandwich

Cooked prawns combined with sandwich ingredients like avocado, lettuce and tomato can make for a delicious lunch. Aim for wholemeal bread, which is higher in fibre and will help you feel fuller for longer.

8. Make a curry

Combine prawns with your favourite curry base, coconut milk and plenty of veggies for a nutritious dinner. Serve with brown rice for extra fibre.

9. Sub them for other proteins

If you’re used to cooking proteins like chicken, beef or other types of seafood, see if you can sub in prawns to change things up. For instance, you could make prawn tacos instead of beef or chicken ones, or prawn pasta instead of tuna.

10. Chow down for breakfast

Who said prawns only had to be for lunch or dinner? For a big protein boost at breakfast, make an omelette using a couple of eggs and a handful of prawns. 

Alternatively, top your toast with a smear of avocado, a few prawns, some feta and lemon — we promise it’ll beat plain old smashed avo.

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Photo credit: Pexels x RDNE Stock project