Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Lobster: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, lobster gives 70 kcal, 16.0 g protein and only 0.6 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. It ranks 6th of 41 fish and seafood for magnesium, at 45 mg, and 8th for calcium, at 73 mg. Its omega-3 is low, at 40 mg of DHA, and it is naturally salty, with 140 mg of sodium.
About lobster
The lobster in IFCT 2017 is the slipper or sand lobster, Thenus orientalis, a flat, clawless lobster trawled off the coasts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Most of India's lobster catch, including the spiny rock lobsters of Kanyakumari and the Gulf of Mannar, is exported live or frozen, so lobster at home is a special-occasion dish in coastal cities and beach shacks.
IFCT lists the brown lobster used for this page and a king-size sample, which has 90 kcal, 18.5 g protein and 0.8 g fat per 100 g. The sweet, firm tail meat is cooked briefly: Goan shacks serve it in butter and garlic or with a red recheado masala, Mangalorean restaurants make lobster ghee roast, and Kerala cooks roast it with pepper and shallots.
What lobster brings to a meal
- 01
Lean protein
Lobster supplies 16.0 g of protein per 100 g with just 0.6 g fat and 70 kcal, meeting 30 per cent of a sedentary man's daily protein requirement and 35 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
Magnesium and calcium
It gives 45 mg of magnesium per 100 g, 6th of 41 fish and seafood, meeting 10 per cent of a man's need, and 73 mg of calcium, 8th of 41.
- 03
Zinc and selenium
Lobster carries 1.16 mg of zinc per 100 g, 9th of 41 in its group, and 33.8 micrograms of selenium.
- 04
Low omega-3, low riboflavin
Its DHA, 40 mg, and EPA, 23 mg, are low, and its riboflavin, 0.01 mg, is the lowest of all 241 foods with a value.
Lobster nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 70 kcal | 3% | 4% |
| Protein | 16 g | 30% | 35% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.6 g | ||
| Water | 81.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.11 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.07 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.12 g | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 23 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 40 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 33 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 73 mg | 7% | 7% |
| Iron | 0.77 mg | 4% | 3% |
| Zinc | 1.16 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Magnesium | 45 mg | 10% | 12% |
| Phosphorus | 223 mg | ||
| Potassium | 212 mg | ||
| Sodium | 140 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.12 mg | ||
| Selenium | 33.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 2 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.01 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.63 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.22 mg | 9% | 11% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.35 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Lobster: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/lobster/
Where lobster sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 40 fish and seafood and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fish and seafood | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.35 mg | 14th of 41 | 36th of 242 |
| Protein | 16 g | 32nd of 41 | 75th of 243 |
| Calcium | 73 mg | 8th of 41 | 78th of 242 |
| Zinc | 1.16 mg | 9th of 41 | 81st of 243 |
| Magnesium | 45 mg | 6th of 41 | 97th of 242 |
Every form of lobster in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobster, brown (shown above) | 70 kcal | 16 g | 0 g | 0.77 mg | 73 mg |
| King size | 90 kcal | 18.5 g | 0 g | 0.35 mg | 66 mg |
How lobster is eaten
- Lobster recheado: Goan halved lobster smeared with red chilli, garlic and vinegar masala and grilled.
- Lobster ghee roast: Mangalorean style, in a tangy red masala finished with ghee.
- Kerala lobster roast: tail meat sautéed with shallots, crushed pepper, curry leaves and coconut oil.
- Lobster tails in a light coconut milk curry, cooked for only a few minutes so the meat stays tender.
Before you plan around it
Lobster itself is very lean, but butter-garlic and ghee roast dishes can add more fat than the shellfish contains. It has 140 mg of sodium per 100 g, ranking 11th of 243 foods. Shellfish allergy is common and can be serious. Buy lobster live or properly frozen, and cook it promptly. Fisheries rules protect small, young and egg-carrying lobsters, so legally landed, full-size lobster is the responsible choice.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about lobster
How much protein is in lobster?
IFCT 2017 lists 16.0 g of protein per 100 g of brown slipper lobster and 18.5 g for the king-size sample, both with less than 1 g of fat.
Is lobster healthy?
Lobster is lean and light, at 70 kcal and 0.6 g fat per 100 g, with useful magnesium, calcium and zinc. Its value depends on the cooking: grilled or curried beats butter-drenched.
What is a slipper lobster?
A slipper lobster, also called a sand lobster, is a flat, clawless lobster. IFCT 2017 analysed Thenus orientalis, which is trawled along India's coasts and sold mostly for export.
Related foods and tables
Crab
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Tiger prawns
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Prawns
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mud crab
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Squid
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
All fish and seafood
41 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.