Fish Calories and Nutrition Facts per 100g by Type

Fish ranges from about 82 calories per 100g (raw cod) to about 208 (farmed Atlantic salmon). Cooked fish shows more calories per 100g than raw because it loses water, not because it gains calories. For the most protein per calorie, choose cod, canned tuna in water, grouper (hammour), yellowfin tuna or tilapia. The table below covers 12 fish, raw and cooked.

Fish Calories per 100g, Raw and Cooked

Values are USDA FoodData Central reference values per 100g, rounded. Cooked means baked or cooked with dry heat and no added oil. Canned fish is drained. Protein per 100 kcal uses the cooked values.

n/a means the fish is only sold canned. Mercury groups are from the FDA and are explained further down.

Raw or Cooked: Which Number Should You Use?

Use the raw numbers if you weigh fish before cooking and the cooked numbers if you weigh it on the plate. Do not mix them. Cooking drives off water, so 100g of cooked cod is more concentrated than 100g of raw cod (105 calories against 82). The piece as a whole does not gain calories.

For example, a 150g raw cod fillet has about 123 calories. It cooks down to roughly 117g, which at 105 calories per 100g is still about 123 calories. Weighing raw fish and then using the cooked figure overstates the calories by about 25 to 35%.

Farmed salmon is the exception: 208 raw and 206 cooked, because some fat cooks out along with the water.

Salmon Calories: Farmed vs Wild

This is the number people most often get wrong. Farmed and wild Atlantic salmon are very different in fat, and so in calories. Most Atlantic salmon sold in shops is farmed, so check the label.

A 150g raw fillet is about 312 calories if farmed and about 213 if wild. Either is a good choice. The extra fat in farmed salmon is mostly the reason for the extra calories.

Tuna Calories

Canned tuna in water has 116 calories and 25.5g of protein per 100g drained. Canned in oil has about 186 to 198 calories, roughly 60 to 70% more, so check the tin. Yellowfin tuna steak has 109 calories raw and 139 cooked, with 29.1g of protein per 100g cooked, the most of any fish in the table.

Tuna is also where mercury matters most. See the mercury section below.

Tilapia Calories

Tilapia has 96 calories per 100g raw and 128 baked, with 26.2g of protein per 100g cooked. A 150g raw fillet is about 144 calories, and it stays about 144 calories once cooked. It is not 190 to 200, which is what you get by applying the cooked figure to the raw weight.

How Cooking Method Changes Fish Calories

These are estimates that assume you eat all the oil. Deep frying usually takes up more oil than a tablespoon, and butter, sauces and dressings count on top.

Fish Protein: Which Fish Has the Most?

Ranked by protein per 100g cooked: yellowfin tuna (29.1g), tilapia (26.2g), canned tuna in water (25.5g), wild salmon (25.4g) and grouper (24.8g). Fish protein is complete, which means it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Best Fish for Weight Loss

For weight loss, the useful measure is protein per 100 calories. Canned tuna in water gives 22.0g, cod 21.7g, grouper 21.0g, yellowfin tuna 20.9g and tilapia 20.5g. Oily fish gives less protein per calorie but still fits a weight loss plan if you watch the portion.

140g is the NHS portion size. Building fish into a calorie target? Our 1200 calorie meal plan uses cod, tilapia, salmon and hammour, and our weight loss meal plan does the counting for you.

Oily Fish, Omega-3 and How Much to Eat

The NHS advises at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish, with a portion being about 140g. It describes oily fish such as salmon and sardines as high in long-chain omega-3 fats and a good source of vitamin D. Girls and women who may become pregnant, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, should have no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week. The NIH lists salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel as cold-water fatty fish. If you are worried about vitamin D, see our guide to vitamin D deficiency.

Mercury in Fish

The FDA and EPA sort fish into three groups. The serving size for adults is 4 ounces, about 113g.

Hammour is a grouper, so it falls in the Good Choices group. If a fishmonger sells "kingfish", ask which species it is, because king mackerel is on the avoid list. In pregnancy the NHS also advises no more than 4 cans of tuna or 2 tuna steaks a week, and no shark, swordfish or marlin. This is US and UK guidance. For most adults eating a variety of fish, mercury is not a big concern.

Fresh, Frozen or Canned: Does It Change the Calories?

Fresh and frozen fish of the same species are nutritionally very similar. Canned fish in water is close to fresh for protein and calories. Canned in oil is the one to watch: canned tuna goes from 116 calories per 100g in water to about 186 to 198 in oil. Smoked fish has a similar calorie count to fresh but is usually much higher in salt.

Want Fish Built into Your Week?

Salmon, cod and tuna dinners with the macros worked out are in our healthy dinner ideas. If you would rather not cook, Lifter Life's weight loss meal plan and muscle gain meal plan are delivered fresh across Dubai.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories are in 100g of fish?

From about 82 for raw cod to about 208 for raw farmed Atlantic salmon. Cooked, lean fish such as cod, grouper and tilapia is roughly 105 to 130 calories per 100g, and oily fish such as mackerel is about 260.

Which fish has the fewest calories?

Cod, at about 82 calories per 100g raw or 105 cooked. Canned tuna in water (116 drained), grouper and tilapia are close behind.

How many calories are in a salmon fillet?

A 150g raw fillet has about 312 calories if it is farmed Atlantic salmon and about 213 if it is wild. Check the label, because the two are very different.

Is cooked fish higher in calories than raw fish?

Per 100g, yes, because cooking removes water. The whole fillet does not gain calories unless you add oil, butter or a coating. Weigh your fish raw or cooked and use the matching number.

How many calories are in tuna?

Canned tuna in water has about 116 calories per 100g drained. Canned in oil has about 186 to 198. A yellowfin tuna steak is about 109 raw or 139 cooked.

Is fish good for weight loss?

Yes. Lean fish gives about 20 to 22g of protein for every 100 calories. Canned tuna in water, cod, grouper, yellowfin and tilapia give the most protein for the fewest calories. Frying and coatings are what add the calories.

Which fish has the most protein?

Yellowfin tuna has the most in the table above, at 29.1g per 100g cooked. Tilapia (26.2g), canned tuna in water (25.5g), wild salmon (25.4g) and grouper (24.8g) follow.

How much fish should I eat a week?

The NHS advises at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish. A portion is about 140g. Girls and women who may become pregnant, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, should have no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.

Is canned tuna safe to eat often?

The FDA lists canned light tuna as a Best Choice for mercury, at 2 to 3 servings a week. Albacore and yellowfin are Good Choices, at one serving a week. In pregnancy the NHS advises no more than 4 cans or 2 tuna steaks a week.