Meat and poultry
Duck breast on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 24 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, skin removed, for around 200 calories. Half a breast, sliced, about 100 g (3.5 oz), gives roughly 24 g of protein for 200 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from duck breast 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 duck breast sits on a GLP-1
With the skin on, duck is mostly fat and will sit in a slow stomach for a long time. With the skin off it is a reasonable protein at about 24 g per 100 g, and the meat itself is softer and moister than chicken breast, which makes a small serve easy to finish.
When your appetite is small
Cook it whole, take the skin off, and slice half a breast. Fifty grams of sliced duck is about 12 g of protein, and because it is rich it feels like a proper meal at a portion size that would look sad with chicken.
Three ways to prepare it
Render the skin, then remove it
Score and cook skin side down so the fat renders out, then take the skin off before serving. You keep the flavour and lose most of the fat.
Slice it thin and serve it warm, not hot
Duck is best just above room temperature, which also helps if cooking smells are a problem.
Shred confit legs through a broth
Confit duck falls apart and is easy to eat, though it is fattier, so keep the serve to about 80 g.
What to eat it with
Orange, cherry, plum or hoisin. The sweetness and acid cut the richness, which is the main obstacle to finishing it.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck breast | about 24 g | 200 kcal | this page |
| Chicken thigh | about 26 g | 209 kcal | See the page |
| Lamb | about 26 g | 215 kcal | See the page |
| Steak | about 29 g | 210 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, skin removed, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Duck breast is sold as magret in France and sometimes under that name in specialty shops. Available in all three countries, usually frozen in Australia and fresh in the UK.
Questions people ask
Is duck too fatty on a GLP-1?
With the skin on, often yes. Skinless duck breast is about 24 g of protein per 100 g and is one of the moister meats, which makes it easier than chicken breast for some people.
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.