Fish and seafood
Tinned tuna on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 25 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), drained, in spring water, for around 116 calories. One small tin, about 95 g (3.4 oz), gives roughly 24 g of protein for 110 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from tinned tuna alone you would need about 120 g (4.2 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 tinned tuna sits on a GLP-1
A tin of tuna is close to the perfect GLP-1 protein: about 24 g in a very small volume, no cooking, no fridge until it is opened, and roughly 110 calories. The only obstacle is the smell, which is exactly the thing that turns some people off it in the first weeks on a new dose.
When your appetite is small
Mash it with something creamy rather than eating it dry from the tin. Tuna with a spoon of mayonnaise or yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon goes down in six mouthfuls and gets you most of the way to a 30 g stop.
Three ways to prepare it
Mashed with yoghurt and lemon
Cold, soft, sharp, and about 25 g. This is the stop we suggest most often for the afternoon gap.
Stirred through warm pasta or rice
The heat softens it and the starch carries it, which helps if fish on its own is unappealing.
Straight from the tin on a cracker
No preparation at all. Not elegant, and the calculation still works out at 24 g of protein for about a dollar.
What to eat it with
Lemon, mayonnaise, avocado, cucumber, capers. Something wet and something sharp, in that order.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinned tuna | about 25 g | 116 kcal | this page |
| Tinned salmon | about 22 g | 150 kcal | See the page |
| Sardines | about 25 g | 208 kcal | See the page |
| Prawns | about 24 g | 99 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, drained, in spring water, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Tuna in spring water in Australia, tuna in water or in brine in the US and UK. Tuna in oil carries the same protein and roughly double the calories, which is useful if you are struggling to eat enough and unhelpful if fat is sitting badly.
Questions people ask
Is tinned tuna as good as fresh?
For protein, yes. A drained 95 g tin gives about 24 g, the same as a similar weight of fresh tuna, for a fraction of the price and none of the cooking.
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.