Canned crab meat calories come to 104 for one drained 125 g can and 83 per 100 g. Nearly all of that energy, 91%, comes from protein. Calories are not the number to watch here. Sodium is: one can carries 704 mg, about 31% of the daily value, while its calories are only 5%.
104kcal
1 drained 6.5 oz can · 125 g, blue crab, canned, drained
91%protein
22 gProtein
0 gCarbs
0.9 gFat
How to burn off 104 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Blue crab, canned, drained · per 125 g
Calories
104 kcal
Protein
22 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0.9 g
Saturated fat
0.3 g
Cholesterol
121 mg
Sodium
704 mg
Potassium
324 mg
Iron
0.6 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified October 2026. How we verify our data →
Canned crab meat: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 can, drained (125 g)
104
22.4 g
0 g
0.9 g
704 mg
5%
1 cup (135 g)
112
24.1 g
0 g
1 g
760 mg
6%
3 oz portion (85 g)
71
15.2 g
0 g
0.6 g
479 mg
4%
100 g
83
17.9 g
0 g
0.7 g
563 mg
4%
3 × 1 can, drained (125 g)
311
67.1 g
2,111 mg
5 × 1 can, drained (125 g)
519
111.8 g
3,519 mg
One can is a 104-calorie protein portion
The standard drained can weighs 125 g and lands at 104 calories with 22.4 g of protein. A cup, packed a little heavier at 135 g, comes to 112 calories and 24.1 g of protein. The classic 3 oz portion (85 g) is 71 calories with 15.2 g of protein, a size that fits neatly on a salad or inside a wrap.
On a daily scale the calories barely register. One can is 5% of the daily calorie value, yet it covers 45% of the daily protein value. A cup pushes protein to 48% for 6% of calories. Few foods give you that kind of gap between the two rows.
Scaling up shows where the real limit sits. Two cans are 208 calories and 44.7 g of protein, and three cans reach 311 calories and 67.1 g. Even five cans, 625 g of crab, total only 519 calories. Sodium climbs just as fast, though: 1,408 mg for two cans and 2,111 mg for three. With this food, salt runs out long before calories do.
Nearly every calorie is protein
Per 100 g, canned blue crab has 17.9 g of protein, 0.7 g of fat and zero carbohydrate, sugar or fiber. That works out to 91% of calories from protein and 9% from fat. Saturated fat is just 0.2 g per 100 g. On a grocery shelf, very few foods are this lean.
For anyone tracking protein, the ratio is the selling point. A drained can gives 22.4 g of protein for 104 calories, almost the same density as tuna canned in water, which has 19.4 g of protein and 86 calories per 100 g. Crab even edges it slightly on calories.
Two other rows deserve a glance. Cholesterol is 97 mg per 100 g, which is high next to such a small calorie count. Potassium sits at 259 mg per 100 g. The flip side of all that leanness: crab on its own makes a light plate, so whatever you mix into it usually decides the final total more than the crab does.
Sodium is the row to watch
Canned crab carries 563 mg of sodium per 100 g, which is 24% of the daily value. A drained can brings 704 mg (31%) and a cup 760 mg (33%). Set those next to calories at 5% and 6% and the imbalance is plain: sodium is the number that runs ahead on this label.
The can is where the extra salt shows up. Our crab meat page lists the same 83 calories, 17.9 g of protein and 0.7 g of fat per 100 g, but only 395 mg of sodium. Tuna canned in water is lower still at 247 mg per 100 g. Same protein story, very different salt story.
If you watch sodium, treat the crab as the salty part of the meal and keep the rest of the plate plain. A 3 oz portion at 479 mg (21%) is easier to fit into a day than a full can, and portion size is the simplest lever you have. Doubling up to two cans at 1,408 mg makes the crab the dominant source of salt for that day.
Build the plate around what crab lacks
Crab brings protein and almost nothing else: no carbs, no fiber, very little fat. That makes it a flexible base. Add vegetables, greens or a whole grain and you supply the fiber the crab does not have, while the calorie count stays modest.
The usual risk is the binder. Crab salad, crab cakes and creamy dips lean on mayonnaise, butter, breadcrumbs or cheese, and those ingredients can easily outweigh the 104 calories of the crab itself. If you want the lean version, mix the meat with lemon, herbs, chopped celery or a spoon of yogurt instead, and keep salty add-ons like crackers or seasoning blends light, since the crab already carries plenty of sodium.
Brands such as Culinary Reserve, Sea Best, Sea Delight and Gulfshore sell the meat in different grades, so check the label of the can you buy. For a mixed dish where weighing every part is a chore, BodyPal can log the meal from a photo, and you can adjust the crab portion afterward.
How does canned crab meat compare?
Here is canned crab meat next to crab meat, lobster meat and tuna canned in water, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the least sodium pick tuna canned in water at 247 mg per 100 g with 19.4 g of protein for 86 calories, or crab meat that is not canned, which has the same 83 calories with 395 mg. Canned crab wins on convenience, not on salt, and lobster meat at 89 calories and 486 mg sits in between.
Most popular canned crab meat brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Culinary Reserve Crab Meat3 oz · 85 g94 kcal
2Sea Wings Crab Meat1/4 cup · 57 g79 kcal
3Sea Best 30/70 Crab Meat3 oz · 84 g119 kcal
4Sea Delight Crab Meat3 oz · 85 g118 kcal
5Gulfshore Crab Meat2 oz · 56 g80 kcal
Label rows are pasteurized crab meat of different grades (lump, claw, mixed) weighed as packed, while the page's number is drained blue crab, so calories per 100 g vary with grade and moisture. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Canned crab meat FAQs
How many calories are in a can of crab meat?
A drained 6.5 oz can (125 g) of crab meat has about 104 calories. A cup (135 g) has 112 calories.
Is canned crab meat good for weight loss?
A drained can has 104 calories with 22.4 g of protein and 0.9 g of fat, and 0 g of carbs. It is also salty, at about 704 mg of sodium per can.
Canned crab meat vs fresh crab meat: which has fewer calories?
Both have 83 calories per 100 g. Canned blue crab has more sodium, 563 mg per 100 g versus 395 mg for cooked fresh blue crab.
How much protein is in canned crab meat?
Canned crab meat has 17.9 g of protein per 100 g, which is 22.4 g in a drained can and 15.2 g in a 3 oz portion.
How much sodium is in 3 oz of canned crab meat?
A 3 oz (85 g) portion of drained canned crab meat has 479 mg of sodium, 21% of the daily value. The same portion has 71 calories and 15.2 g of protein.
Is canned crab meat high in sodium?
Yes, relative to its calories. Per 100 g it has 563 mg of sodium, 24% of the daily value, while calories are just 4%. One drained can carries 704 mg, or 31%.
How many calories are in a cup of canned crab meat?
One cup (135 g) of drained canned crab meat has 112 calories, 24.1 g of protein, 1 g of fat and no carbohydrates. That is 6% of the daily calorie value and 48% of the protein value.
Does canned crab meat have carbs or sugar?
No. Canned crab meat has 0 g of carbohydrate, 0 g of sugar and 0 g of fiber per 100 g. Its 83 calories per 100 g come 91% from protein and 9% from fat.
How much cholesterol is in canned crab meat?
Canned crab meat has 97 mg of cholesterol per 100 g. Fat stays low at 0.7 g per 100 g, of which only 0.2 g is saturated.
