Salmon is a cold-water fish, native to North America. While many salmon species, including pink, coho, Atlantic, chum, sockeye and Chinook, are caught wild, some of these are now raised in large aquaculture farms. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch lists wild-caught Alaskan salmon as a "best choice." Considered a fatty fish, salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for cardiovascular health. Available year-round, fresh salmon delivers many important nutrients.
Contents
A typical 3 oz. serving of pink salmon broiled in dry heat weighs 85 g. The USDA Nutrient Database indicates around 21 g of this amount is protein. The same serving also provides 4 g of fat, with 1 g of that saturated fat. The rest of that serving consists of other nutrients and water. Salmon contains no appreciable amounts of carbohydrates.
Caloric Value
The USDA Nutrient Database indicates that there are around 127 calories in a 3 oz. serving of salmon, with protein making up 93 of those calories. The other 34 calories come from fat. Of that amount, approximately 13 calories come from omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamins
Salmon contains many of the vitamins the average adult needs each day. A single 3.5 oz. serving provides almost 3 mcg of vitamin B12, which is over 100 percent of the daily value, 7.25 mcg of niacin or almost 50 percent, 0.7 mg of pantothenic acid for 14 percent and 0.16 mg of thiamin at 13 percent. Lesser quantities of other vitamins in salmon include vitamin A, riboflavin and folate.
Minerals
Salmon also provides several important mineral nutrients, including 48.6 mcg of selenium at almost 90 percent of the daily value, 251 mg of phosphorus for around 35 percent, 28 mg of magnesium for almost 8 percent and 352 mg of potassium at around 7 percent of what an average adult needs per day. Lesser amounts of other minerals, including calcium, iron, sodium, copper, manganese and zinc are also available from broiled salmon.
Other Information
A 3 oz. serving of broiled salmon also contains about 57 mg of cholesterol or around 20 percent of the recommended daily amount for the average adult. Salmon is not a significant source of dietary fiber. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a 3 oz. serving of salmon contains 1 to 2 g of omega-3 fatty acids, on average.
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