How many calories are in catfish?

A raw farmed fillet weighing 159g is 189 calories, and a 3 oz portion is 101. Per 100g raw catfish is 119 calories. Cooked without added fat it concentrates to about 144 per 100g, since the fish loses water rather than calories.

How much protein is in a catfish fillet?

About 24g in a 159g fillet, from 15.2g per 100g raw. That is respectable but not exceptional: chicken breast carries 31g per 100g. Catfish trades some of that protein for fat, which is why it stays moist where a lean fillet dries out.

Catfish vs tilapia: which is leaner?

Tilapia, by a clear margin. Tilapia is 95 calories per 100g with 2.5g fat; catfish is 119 with 5.9g. Cod is leaner still at 66 calories. Catfish is the fattiest of the three, which is exactly why it holds up to frying and they do not.

Is fried catfish still healthy?

Frying nearly doubles it. Breaded and fried catfish runs 229 calories per 100g against 119 raw, and the coating adds carbs to a fish that has none. Baked or broiled at 144 per 100g keeps the protein and skips the batter.

Is catfish keto-friendly?

Yes, in its natural state. Catfish has 0g carbs and a useful 5.9g of fat per 100g, so a fillet needs less added butter than cod or tilapia to hit keto macros. Cornmeal breading is what takes it off the plan, not the fish.

Does catfish have omega-3s?

Some, but not much. A 100g portion carries 1.1g of total polyunsaturated fat, and only a fraction of that is EPA and DHA. Farmed catfish eat a grain-based feed, so the fat profile leans monounsaturated at 2.6g. Salmon is the fish to eat for omega-3s.

Is catfish high in mercury?

No. Catfish sits in the FDA's best choices group alongside salmon and tilapia, with mercury low enough that two to three servings a week is fine, pregnancy included. It is a short-lived bottom feeder rather than a long-lived predator, and mercury accumulates with age and size.

Farmed or wild catfish: does it matter?

Wild is leaner, at 95 calories and 2.8g fat per 100g against 119 and 5.9g farmed, but almost everything sold in US stores is farmed. Farmed fish raised in clean recirculating ponds also avoids the muddy flavor wild catfish is famous for.

How long does catfish keep?

Two days in the coldest part of the fridge raw, three to four days once cooked, and up to six months frozen at 0°F. Fresh fillets should smell of clean water and nothing else. Any ammonia note means it is past saving.