Tag: Shrimp vs salmon

According to the USDA, Americans consumed approximately 16 pounds of seafood per capita in a recent year, with shrimp and salmon being among the most popular choices. When weighing your options, is shrimp or salmon better for your health goals?

A 100-gram serving of cooked shrimp contains fewer calories than a 100-gram serving of cooked salmon, making shrimp the leaner protein choice. While the answer to 'is shrimp leaner than salmon?' is a definitive yes, a complete nutritional picture involves looking beyond just the total fat and calorie count to understand each option's unique health benefits.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both salmon and shrimp are excellent sources of nutrients and considered low-mercury seafood, making them safe and healthy additions to your diet. So when deciding which is healthier, shrimp or salmon, the answer depends heavily on your specific health goals and which nutrients you prioritize. This comparison will help you weigh the distinct nutritional profiles of these two popular seafood options.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data, shrimp have a mean mercury concentration of just 0.009 parts per million (ppm), which is significantly lower than the 0.022 ppm found in fresh/frozen salmon, showing that shrimp has less mercury. However, both are considered excellent, low-mercury seafood choices for a healthy diet.

According to UCSF Health, per a 3.5-ounce serving, shrimp contains significantly more cholesterol than salmon. However, modern nutritional science emphasizes that the impact of dietary cholesterol, including from foods like shrimp, is often less significant for blood cholesterol levels than the amount of saturated and trans fat in one's diet.