Meat, poultry and eggs · IFCT 2017
Duck: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, duck meat with skin gives 131 kcal, 19.1 g protein and 6.0 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Its 4.26 mg of iron ranks 2nd of 14 in the meat, poultry and egg group, behind only chicken liver, and meets 22 per cent of a sedentary man's daily requirement. It also leads its group for copper.
About duck
Duck is a regional meat in India, eaten where rice paddies and backwaters give the birds water to forage. Kerala's Kuttanad is the best-known duck country, and Syrian Christian kitchens serve tharavu roast or duck mappas with appam at Easter and Christmas. In Assam, duck cooked with ash gourd or with black sesame is a festive dish, and in Bengal and Tripura hansher mangsho is a winter favourite.
The birds are mostly small, free-ranging local breeds, and the IFCT 2017 sample of duck meat with skin is leaner than many people expect, at 6.0 g of fat per 100 g. Duck has darker, more strongly flavoured meat than chicken, which suits heavy spicing with pepper, coconut milk, mustard or roasted chilli. The skin and fat layer of a larger, farm-raised duck can carry far more fat than the IFCT figure suggests, so the cooking fat and how much skin stays on matter.
What duck brings to a meal
- 01
Iron second only to liver
Duck supplies 4.26 mg of iron per 100 g, 2nd of 14 in its group and 58th of 242 foods. That covers 22 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 15 per cent of a woman's, mostly as haem iron, which is absorbed well.
- 02
Good zinc and copper
At 2.92 mg of zinc per 100 g, duck ranks 34th of 243 foods and meets 17 per cent of a man's requirement and 22 per cent of a woman's. Its 1.0 mg of copper is the highest of any meat, poultry or egg in IFCT 2017.
- 03
Protein with modest fat
Duck gives 19.1 g of protein per 100 g, about 35 per cent of a man's requirement and 42 per cent of a woman's, for 131 kcal. Saturated fat in the IFCT sample is just 0.34 g.
- 04
Thiamine and folate
Duck has 0.22 mg of thiamine per 100 g, 2nd of 14 in its group, and 28 micrograms of folate, 3rd of 10 foods in the group with a folate value.
Duck 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 | 131 kcal | 6% | 8% |
| Protein | 19.1 g | 35% | 42% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 6 g | ||
| Water | 73.5 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.34 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 2.21 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.3 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 87 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 82 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 23 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 4.26 mg | 22% | 15% |
| Zinc | 2.92 mg | 17% | 22% |
| Magnesium | 26 mg | 6% | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 237 mg | ||
| Potassium | 273 mg | ||
| Sodium | 82 mg | ||
| Copper | 1 mg | ||
| Selenium | 23.6 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 49 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.22 mg | 12% | 13% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.13 mg | 5% | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.24 mg | 12% | 16% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.31 mg | 13% | 16% |
| Folate (B9) | 28 µg | 9% | 13% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.7 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. Duck: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/meat-poultry-and-eggs/duck/
Where duck sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 meat, poultry and eggs and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In meat, poultry and eggs | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 4.26 mg | 2nd of 14 | 58th of 242 |
| Zinc | 2.92 mg | 4th of 14 | 34th of 243 |
| Folate (B9) | 28 µg | 3rd of 10 | 110th of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.22 mg | 2nd of 14 | 49th of 239 |
How duck is eaten
- Kerala duck roast: pieces browned and then cooked down in onion, ginger, pepper and coconut oil until nearly dry.
- Duck mappas: a mild Kerala Christian curry with coconut milk, vinegar and whole spices, served with appam.
- Assamese duck with ash gourd: the gourd soaks up the duck's fat and softens the meat's strong flavour.
- Hansher mangsho: Bengali duck curry slow-cooked with mustard oil, onion and plenty of ginger and garlic.
Before you plan around it
The IFCT sample is a lean local duck. A plump, farm-raised duck with a thick fat layer under the skin will be much richer, so trimming visible fat and skimming the gravy keeps the dish lighter. Duck also has 82 mg of sodium per 100 g before any salt is added, 2nd highest in its group. As with all poultry, cook duck through, and buy from a seller who keeps the birds and meat clean and cold.
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 duck
Is duck meat healthier than chicken?
On IFCT 2017 figures, duck brings more iron, zinc and copper than chicken, with 4.26 mg iron and 2.92 mg zinc per 100 g. Chicken breast has more protein and niacin. Both are good meats; duck's advantage is its minerals, chicken's is its leanness and price.
How much protein is in duck meat?
Duck meat with skin has 19.1 g of protein per 100 g in IFCT 2017, with 131 kcal and 6.0 g of fat. Measured against daily needs, 100 g gives a sedentary man about 35 per cent of his protein and a woman 42 per cent of hers.
Is duck meat high in fat?
The IFCT 2017 sample is fairly lean at 6.0 g of fat per 100 g, with only 0.34 g saturated fat. Larger farm ducks and roasts with the skin and fat layer left on carry much more, so the bird and the cooking method decide how rich the dish is.
Related foods and tables
Chicken (broiler)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Country chicken (desi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Egg
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Goat meat (mutton)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Guinea fowl
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
All meat, poultry and eggs
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
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