Fish and seafood
Barramundi on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 24 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, skinless fillet, for around 110 calories. One fillet, about 150 g (5.3 oz), gives roughly 36 g of protein for 165 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from barramundi alone you would need about 125 g (4.4 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How barramundi sits on a GLP-1
Barramundi sits between white fish and salmon: lean enough to be light on a slow stomach, but with enough fat in the flesh that it does not dry out in the way cod does. For people who have gone off salmon because it is too rich, this is usually the fish they move to.
When your appetite is small
A 150 g fillet is about 36 g of protein, which is a whole stop in a piece of food you can eat with a spoon. If that is too much, half a fillet with a yoghurt sauce is still 18 g.
Three ways to prepare it
Pan fried skin side down, then finished in the pan off the heat
The residual heat finishes it gently, which keeps the flesh soft.
Steamed with ginger and shallot
An Asian style steamed fish is moist, aromatic and light, and the ginger helps on a queasy day.
Baked in a parcel with lemon
Foil, lemon, a splash of white wine or stock, twelve minutes. No smell and no washing up.
What to eat it with
Lime, coriander, ginger, coconut. It takes stronger flavours than cod without being overwhelmed, which helps when taste has flattened.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barramundi | about 24 g | 110 kcal | this page |
| Cod and white fish | about 23 g | 105 kcal | See the page |
| Tilapia | about 26 g | 128 kcal | See the page |
| Salmon | about 25 g | 208 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, skinless fillet, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Barramundi is the Australian name and the fish is farmed there and in Southeast Asia. In the UK and US it is sold as barramundi or as Asian sea bass. Sea bass and snapper are the closest substitutes.
Questions people ask
Is barramundi good for weight loss?
About 24 g of protein per 100 g for roughly 110 calories, so yes. It is also one of the easier fish to eat when appetite is low, because it stays moist.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.