Crab meat calories come to 71 for a 3 oz portion (85 g) and 83 per 100 g of blue crab cooked in moist heat. Nearly all of that is protein: 91% of the calories, with fat supplying the other 9% and zero carbs. The number that deserves your attention is sodium, not calories.
71kcal
1 3 oz portion · 85 g, cooked, moist heat
91%protein
15.2 gProtein
0 gCarbs
0.6 gFat
How to burn off 71 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Cooked, moist heat · per 85 g
Calories
71 kcal
Protein
15.2 g
Carbohydrate
0 g
Fat
0.6 g
Saturated fat
0.2 g
Cholesterol
82 mg
Sodium
336 mg
Potassium
220 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
🛡️
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 September 2026. How we verify our data →
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
3 oz portion (85 g)
71
15.2 g
0 g
0.6 g
336 mg
4%
1 cup, flaked (118 g)
98
21.1 g
0 g
0.9 g
466 mg
5%
100 g
83
17.9 g
0 g
0.7 g
395 mg
4%
3 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
212
45.6 g
1,007 mg
5 × 3 oz portion (85 g)
353
76 g
1,679 mg
A 3 oz portion is 71 calories, a cup is 98
The standard 3 oz portion (85 g) of cooked blue crab carries 71 calories and 15.2 g of protein. That is only 4% of the daily calorie value but 30% of the daily protein value, a lopsided trade in your favor. A cup of flaked meat (118 g) rises to 98 calories and 21.1 g of protein, which covers 42% of the protein value on its own.
Because crab has almost no fat, the total climbs slowly as the pile grows. Two portions (170 g) come to 141 calories, and three portions (255 g) reach 212. Even a generous crab feast of five portions (425 g) lands at 353 calories while delivering 76 g of protein. That is a lot of food for the number on the label.
The catch is what goes on top. Melted butter, mayo-based crab salad and breaded crab cakes add calories the crab itself never had, so log the extras as their own line. BodyPal can log the crab from a photo, but the dipping cup next to it still counts.
Nearly every calorie is protein
Per 100 g, cooked crab has 17.9 g of protein, 0.7 g of fat and 0 g of carbohydrate. That works out to 91% of calories from protein and 9% from fat. There is no sugar and no fiber to account for, so the macro picture is about as simple as food gets.
Saturated fat barely registers at 0.2 g per 100 g. Cholesterol is the one number that runs higher than the lean profile suggests: 97 mg per 100 g, measured against a daily value of 300 mg. If you track cholesterol, count it the same way you would for shrimp or eggs; if you do not, the fat rows will not move your day at all.
The practical upshot is that crab works as a protein source, not an energy source. Build a meal around it and the carbs and fat on the plate will come almost entirely from whatever you serve alongside. That makes the sides, not the crab, the place where a meal tips from light to heavy.
Sodium is the row to watch
Cooked blue crab carries 395 mg of sodium per 100 g, which is high for a plain protein. A 3 oz portion brings 336 mg, or 15% of the daily value, and that figure is for the crab alone, before any seasoning blend, butter or cocktail sauce.
Sodium adds up faster than the calories do. A cup of flaked crab has 466 mg, which is 20% of the daily value. Two portions hit 672 mg, three reach 1,007 mg, and five portions climb to 1,679 mg, well over half the daily value before anything else on the plate is counted. A crab boil with salty spice mix pushes it higher still.
If you watch sodium, keep the portion near 3 oz and lean on lemon, herbs, garlic or black pepper instead of salty seasoning. Rinsing canned crab is a common habit, though the label of the specific product is your best guide. Potassium sits at a modest 259 mg per 100 g, so it does little to offset the salt.
Lean crab leaves room on the plate
With 71 calories and 0.6 g of fat in a 3 oz portion, crab is one of the lighter ways to put protein on a plate. That leaves most of a meal's calories free for the sides, and you get to decide how they are spent.
For a filling plate, pair crab with what it lacks: fiber and some carbohydrate. A big green salad, grilled vegetables, corn on the cob or a whole-grain roll all round it out without burying it. Crab cakes and hot crab dip are a different food in practice, since binders, mayo and frying change the numbers far more than the crab does.
A shopping note: lump and pasteurized crab, such as Boss Lump Crab Meat or Sebastian Pasteurized Crab Meat, is real crab. Flake-style packs like Hy-Vee Flake Style Imitation Crab Meat or Kroger Crab Select Imitation Crab Meat are imitation crab, a fish-based product with added carbs. Check which one you bought before you log it, because the two do not share a nutrition label.
How does crab meat compare?
Here is how cooked crab meat stacks up against lobster meat, imitation crab and atlantic salmon, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the most protein per calorie, pick real crab over imitation crab, which brings 95 calories but only 7.6 g of protein and 15 g of carbs per 100 g. Lobster is a near twin at 89 calories with more sodium at 486 mg, while atlantic salmon at 206 calories is the choice when you want fat on the plate to keep you full.
Most popular crab meat brands in the United States
5Fremont Fish Market Pollock & Snow Crab Blend Imitation Crab Meat1/2 cup · 85 g118 kcal
6Roland White Crab Meat1/2 cup · 56 g62 kcal
7Geisha Fancy Crab Meat with Leg Meat2 oz · 56 g61 kcal
8Sebastian Pasteurized Crab Meat3 oz · 85 g100 kcal
Several of these are surimi-based imitation crab rather than real crab meat, so their calories and protein differ from the cooked blue crab meat above. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Crab meat FAQs
How many calories are in crab meat?
A 3 oz (85 g) portion of cooked crab meat is about 71 calories, and a cup of flaked crab meat is about 98. Per 100 g it is 83 calories.
Is crab meat good for weight loss?
Cooked crab meat is 83 calories per 100 g with 17.9 g of protein and only 0.74 g of fat, so a 3 oz portion supplies about 15.2 g of protein for 71 calories.
Crab meat vs imitation crab: which has more calories?
Real cooked crab meat is 83 calories per 100 g, while imitation crab meat is about 95 calories per 100 g, roughly 12 calories more.
How much protein is in crab meat?
A 3 oz (85 g) portion of crab meat has about 15.2 g of protein, and a cup of flaked crab meat has about 21.1 g. Per 100 g that is 17.9 g.
What are the macros for crab meat?
Per 100 g, cooked crab meat has 17.9 g of protein, 0.7 g of fat and 0 g of carbs. That puts 91% of its calories in protein and 9% in fat, with no sugar or fiber.
How many calories are in 100 g of crab meat?
There are 83 calories in 100 g of cooked blue crab, about 4% of the daily value. The same weight gives 17.9 g of protein, 0.7 g of fat and 395 mg of sodium.
What does USDA FoodData Central list for 3 oz of cooked crab meat?
USDA lists 71 calories for a 3 oz portion (85 g) of blue crab cooked in moist heat, with 15.2 g of protein, 0.6 g of fat and 0 g of carbs. Sodium comes to 336 mg.
Is crab good for you?
By the numbers, a 3 oz portion gives 30% of the daily protein value for 4% of the daily calories, with just 0.6 g of fat. The trade-off is sodium: 336 mg, or 15% of the daily value.
What else is on the crab meat nutrition facts label?
Beyond the macros, 100 g of cooked crab has 395 mg of sodium, 97 mg of cholesterol, 259 mg of potassium and 0.2 g of saturated fat. Sugar and fiber are both 0 g.
