Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Milk fish: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, milk fish gives 106 kcal, 23.7 g protein and 1.1 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. That protein ranks 2nd of 41 fish and seafood and 6th of all 257 foods in the tables. Milk fish also carries 194 mg of DHA and 2.43 mg of zinc, 4th highest among fish.
About milk fish
Milk fish, Chanos chanos, is a sleek silver fish of estuaries and lagoons, named for its pale, milky-white flesh. In Tamil it is paal meen or palai meen, in Malayalam poomeen, in Kannada hoomeenu and in Telugu pallabontha, as IFCT 2017 records. Its young swim into coastal backwaters, where farmers have long trapped and grown them, including in Kerala's pokkali rice fields between paddy seasons.
Poomeen is a favourite in central Kerala, fried with chilli and pepper or cooked in a red kudampuli curry, while Tamil coastal homes simmer paal meen in a tamarind kuzhambu. The flesh is mild and sweet, but the fish is famous for its many fine, forked bones running through the meat, so cooks often cut it into steaks and score it deeply before frying.
What milk fish brings to a meal
- 01
Second-highest protein among fish
Milk fish supplies 23.7 g of protein per 100 g, ranking 2nd of 41 fish and seafood and 6th of 257 foods. Measured against ICMR-NIN 2020 needs, that is 44 per cent of a sedentary man's protein for the day and 52 per cent of a woman's.
- 02
Zinc, iron and niacin
It gives 2.43 mg of zinc per 100 g, 4th of 41 in its group and meeting 14 per cent of a man's requirement, plus 1.35 mg of iron, 6th of 41. Its niacin, 5.21 mg, meets 29 per cent of a man's need.
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DHA from a lean fish
With 194 mg of DHA per 100 g and only 1.1 g of total fat, milk fish delivers useful long-chain omega-3 without many calories.
- 04
Selenium and vitamin E
Milk fish carries 62.2 micrograms of selenium and 1.86 mg of vitamin E per 100 g; its vitamin E ranks 9th of 41 fish and seafood.
Milk fish 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 | 106 kcal | 5% | 6% |
| Protein | 23.7 g | 44% | 52% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.1 g | ||
| Water | 72.2 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.37 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.19 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.32 g | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 17 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 194 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 21 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 29 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 1.35 mg | 7% | 5% |
| Zinc | 2.43 mg | 14% | 19% |
| Magnesium | 35 mg | 8% | 9% |
| Phosphorus | 292 mg | ||
| Potassium | 301 mg | ||
| Sodium | 43 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.45 mg | ||
| Selenium | 62.2 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 3 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.05 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 5.21 mg | 29% | 37% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.86 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. Milk fish: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/milk-fish/
Where milk fish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23.7 g | 2nd of 41 | 6th of 243 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.86 mg | 9th of 41 | 22nd of 242 |
| Zinc | 2.43 mg | 4th of 41 | 50th of 243 |
| Energy | 106 kcal | 13th of 41 | 109th of 257 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.07 mg | 9th of 39 | 110th of 241 |
How milk fish is eaten
- Poomeen fry: thick steaks scored deep, rubbed with chilli, pepper, turmeric and ginger-garlic, and fried crisp in coconut oil.
- Poomeen curry: Kerala red fish curry with kudampuli and fenugreek, cooked in an earthen pot.
- Paal meen kuzhambu: Tamil tamarind gravy with shallots, garlic and sambar powder.
- Scoring the fish deeply before frying softens the fine bones enough to eat around them more easily.
Before you plan around it
Milk fish has a great many fine intermuscular bones, so it is not the easiest fish for small children or older people; filleted or deep-scored steaks help. The fish is lean, so most of the fat in a poomeen fry comes from the oil. Farmed backwater fish can take on a muddy taste if the water is poor, so buy from sellers with a good turnover and keep it on ice.
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 milk fish
What is poomeen fish in English?
Poomeen is milk fish, Chanos chanos. Tamils call it paal meen, Kannada speakers hoomeenu and Telugu speakers pallabontha. In the Philippines, where it is farmed on a huge scale, it is called bangus.
Is milk fish high in protein?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 23.7 g of protein per 100 g, the 2nd highest of all fish and seafood in the tables, with only 106 kcal and 1.1 g fat.
Why does milk fish have so many bones?
Like many herring-type fish, milk fish has rows of fine, Y-shaped bones within the muscle. They are harmless when chewed carefully, and deep scoring, pressure cooking or filleting makes them easier to manage.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Karimeen (pearl spot)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Tilapia
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Sardine
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Tuna
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc 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.