Fish and seafood
Prawns on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 24 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, peeled, for around 99 calories. About eight large prawns, about 100 g (3.5 oz), give roughly 24 g of protein for 99 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from prawns 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 prawns sits on a GLP-1
Prawns are one of the best foods on this whole list for a GLP-1 appetite: 24 g of protein per 100 g, about 100 calories, no fat to slow the stomach, and they are eaten cold, which sidesteps the cooking smell problem entirely. They are also quick, which matters when the window is short.
When your appetite is small
Buy them cooked and peeled. A hundred grams from the fridge with lemon is a 24 g protein stop that requires opening a packet, and that is the whole method.
Three ways to prepare it
Cold, from the fridge, with lemon
Already cooked prawns need nothing done to them. This is the fastest real food protein stop there is.
Tossed through a warm noodle bowl
Add them at the end so they do not toughen. The broth makes them easier again.
Chopped into a yoghurt and avocado bowl
Chopping removes the chewing, and the fat from the avocado makes a small serve satisfying.
What to eat it with
Lemon, avocado, cucumber, chilli, garlic. They need acid and fat, because on their own they are very lean and can taste thin.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prawns | about 24 g | 99 kcal | this page |
| Scallops | about 20 g | 110 kcal | See the page |
| Cod and white fish | about 23 g | 105 kcal | See the page |
| Crab | about 19 g | 97 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, peeled, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Prawns in Australia and the UK, shrimp in the US. Australian green prawns are raw rather than a variety, which confuses visitors. Buy cooked and peeled in any country if appetite is the problem.
Questions people ask
Are prawns high in protein?
Yes, about 24 g per 100 g for roughly 100 calories, which is one of the best protein to energy ratios of any whole food. Eight large prawns is close to a full protein stop.
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.