Meat, poultry and eggs · IFCT 2017
Rabbit: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, rabbit shoulder gives 152 kcal, 20.0 g protein and 8.0 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. It ranks 1st of the 14 meat, poultry and egg foods for potassium, magnesium and alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-type omega-3, at 365 mg. Its calcium, 46 mg, is 2nd in the group after egg.
About rabbit
Rabbit is a small farm meat in India, raised in hutches by smallholders in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and the North East, and sold mainly through farms and a few specialist butchers. In Kerala it is muyal curry or muyal roast, in Tamil Nadu muyal kari, and in hill states it is cooked like mutton. Wild hare is protected, so only farmed rabbit can be sold.
The meat is pale, fine-grained and lean, closer to chicken than to red meat. IFCT 2017 lists three cuts. The chops are leanest, with 22.6 g protein and 4.9 g fat per 100 g, and the leg gives 21.3 g protein and 6.0 g fat. The shoulder, used here, is fattiest at 8.0 g fat but has the most calcium, 46 mg, because the fine bones are hard to separate.
What rabbit brings to a meal
- 01
Top of its group for omega-3
Rabbit shoulder carries 365 mg of alpha-linolenic acid per 100 g, 1st of 13 foods in its group and 23rd of 203 in IFCT 2017. This plant-type omega-3 comes from the rabbit's grass and fodder diet.
- 02
Potassium and magnesium
With 361 mg of potassium and 32 mg of magnesium per 100 g, rabbit ranks 1st of 14 in its group for both minerals.
- 03
Lean protein
Rabbit shoulder supplies 20.0 g of protein per 100 g, meeting 37 per cent of a sedentary man's daily requirement and 44 per cent of a woman's. The chops reach 22.6 g with less fat.
- 04
Niacin and vitamin E
It meets 24 per cent of a man's niacin requirement per 100 g and gives 1.22 mg of vitamin E, 5th of 14 in its group.
Rabbit 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 | 152 kcal | 7% | 9% |
| Protein | 20 g | 37% | 44% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 8 g | ||
| Water | 70.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 3.14 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 2.33 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.81 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 365 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 83 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 46 mg | 5% | 5% |
| Iron | 1.74 mg | 9% | 6% |
| Zinc | 2.34 mg | 14% | 18% |
| Magnesium | 32 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Phosphorus | 238 mg | ||
| Potassium | 361 mg | ||
| Sodium | 61 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.64 mg | ||
| Selenium | 14.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 6 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.14 mg | 6% | 6% |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.38 mg | 24% | 31% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg | 13% | 16% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.22 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. Rabbit: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/meat-poultry-and-eggs/rabbit/
Where rabbit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 46 mg | 2nd of 14 | 101st of 242 |
| Magnesium | 32 mg | 1st of 14 | 134th of 242 |
| Potassium | 361 mg | 1st of 14 | 99th of 243 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 365 mg | 1st of 13 | 23rd of 202 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.22 mg | 5th of 14 | 39th of 242 |
Every form of rabbit in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit, shoulder (shown above) | 152 kcal | 20 g | 0 g | 1.74 mg | 46 mg |
| Chops | 135 kcal | 22.6 g | 0 g | 2.42 mg | 25 mg |
| Leg | 140 kcal | 21.3 g | 0 g | 1.21 mg | 22 mg |
How rabbit is eaten
- Muyal roast: Kerala-style rabbit cooked dry with shallots, coconut slivers, pepper and curry leaves.
- Rabbit curry in a mutton-style onion and tomato gravy, simmered gently so the lean meat stays tender.
- Marinate rabbit in curd, ginger and garlic before grilling or roasting to keep it moist.
- Use the bony shoulder and ribs for a peppery soup, where the small bones flavour the broth.
Before you plan around it
Rabbit is lean, so it dries out with fast, hard heat; braise or simmer it instead. Its thiamine is low, 0.03 mg per 100 g, ranking 13th of 14 in the group. The bones are small and sharp, so take care when serving it to children. Buy only farmed rabbit from a licensed seller, as hunting wild hare is illegal, and cook the meat thoroughly.
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 rabbit
Is rabbit meat healthy?
On IFCT 2017 figures, rabbit is a lean meat with 20.0 g protein per 100 g of shoulder, and it leads its group for potassium, magnesium and plant omega-3. It is a good occasional alternative to chicken or mutton when cooked simply.
How much protein is in rabbit meat?
Rabbit shoulder has 20.0 g of protein per 100 g, the leg 21.3 g and the chops 22.6 g. The chops are also the leanest cut, at 4.9 g fat.
Is it legal to eat rabbit in India?
Farmed rabbit, raised and sold by licensed farms, is legal. Wild hares are protected under wildlife law, and hunting them is not allowed.
Related foods and tables
Chicken (broiler)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Goat meat (mutton)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Turkey
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Emu
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Quail
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Magnesium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by magnesium per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by potassium per 100 g.
All meat, poultry and eggs
14 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.