Meat and poultry
Kangaroo on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 26 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, fillet or steak, for around 120 calories. One small fillet, about 120 g (4.2 oz), gives roughly 31 g of protein for 144 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from kangaroo alone you would need about 115 g (4.1 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 kangaroo sits on a GLP-1
Kangaroo is the leanest red meat in an Australian supermarket: about the same protein as beef for roughly half the calories and almost no fat. On a GLP-1 that is a good trade if you fill up before the protein is done, and a poor one if dryness is your problem, because with almost no fat it turns tough the moment it is overcooked.
When your appetite is small
Cook it rare, rest it, and slice it thin. A 100 g serve is about 26 g of protein for around 120 calories, which is the best protein to energy ratio of any meat on this page.
Three ways to prepare it
Sear it hot and serve it rare
Two minutes each side and five minutes resting. Cooked past medium it becomes unchewable, which is the only real way to get this wrong.
Kangaroo mince in a chilli
Mince is forgiving, cheap, and the spice covers the stronger flavour that puts some people off.
Sliced cold over a salad the next day
Leftover rare kangaroo, sliced thin and eaten cold, avoids the reheating that ruins it.
What to eat it with
Beetroot, red wine sauce, mushroom, or anything with fat in it. A little butter or olive oil at the end compensates for how lean the meat is.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangaroo | about 26 g | 120 kcal | this page |
| Steak | about 29 g | 210 kcal | See the page |
| Venison | about 30 g | 160 kcal | See the page |
| Beef mince | about 26 g | 180 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, fillet or steak, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Kangaroo is common in Australian supermarkets and rare elsewhere; it is occasionally sold in the UK as a specialty meat and is restricted in some US states. Venison is the closest substitute for protein and leanness.
Questions people ask
Is kangaroo good for weight loss?
It has about 26 g of protein per 100 g for roughly 120 calories, which is the leanest red meat you can buy in Australia. It is also high in iron, which matters on very low intakes.
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.