Steamed Snow Crab Claw Nutritional Information

Going by the scientific name Chionoecetes opilio, snow crabs are native to the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska and Canada. Snow crabs are considered a well-managed and sustainable shellfish to eat, although they have suffered in the past from overfishing. All are wild-caught. Typically only the legs are eaten, mostly because the bodies are small and don't have much meat on them. The flesh is sweet, tender and very white -- hence their name. They are usually sold frozen, either raw or precooked. Steaming crab legs is a good way to cook snow crab legs without adding any calories from oil or butter.

Protein, Fat and Cholesterol

A 100 g portion of snow crab contains about 90 total calories. Most of those calories come from protein -- a 100 g portion provides 18.5 g of protein in total. The same serving size contains only 2 g of fat and almost no saturated fat. Snow crab is moderately high in cholesterol, with 55 mg per 100 gserving, or about 18 percent of your daily recommended intake.

Vitamins

Snow crab is rich in B vitamins. A 100 g portion of steamed legs provides 8 percent of your daily vitamin B6 needs as well as 16 percent of your daily niacin, 13 percent of your folate and more than 100 percent of your daily B12 needs.

Minerals

A 100 g portion of steamed snow crab legs contains 0.9 mg of iron, or 5 percent of your recommended daily intake. The same portion size also contains about 103 mg of calcium or 10 percent of your recommended daily intake. Snow crab legs also contain 27 percent of your daily zinc needs and 9 percent of your daily potassium needs.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Like much seafood, snow crab is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are important in preventing cardiovascular disease and may help prevent certain cancers as well. A daily recommended intake level has not been established for omega-3s.

Sodium

You should be aware that snow crab, like much seafood, is naturally somewhat high in sodium. A 100 g portion contains about 539 mg of sodium, or about 23 percent of your daily recommended sodium intake.