The word "duck" comes from an Old English word meaning "to duck or bend down low." Legend has it that the name came from the duck's method of feeding by up-ending and ducking their heads entirely below the water. Ducks are labeled according to their age, with broiler/fryers being younger than eight weeks and roasters being under 16 weeks old. They're a great source of protein, minerals and vitamins.
Description
The nutritional data in this article are based on 100 grams of only the meat from a domesticated duck that has been roasted. This can be compared to the meat from one half of a roasted duck, which weighs about 221 grams.
Basic Nutrition
A 100 g portion of duck meat has 201 calories. Like all meat, duck is a great source of protein, providing 23.5 grams, or 47 percent, of the recommended daily value (DV). It also has 17 percent of the daily value of total fat, including a large amount of cholesterol (30 percent DV).
Vitamins
Duck is a good source of the B vitamins, providing 25 percent to 28 percent of the daily value of riboflavin and niacin, 15 percent to 17 percent DV of pantothenic acid and thiamine, 13 percent of vitamin B6 and 7 percent of vitamin B12. It also supplies smaller amounts of folate and vitamins A, E and K (2 percent to 5 percent DV).
Minerals
Duck is especially high in selenium (32 percent DV) and phosphorus (20 percent DV), but it's also a good source of zinc (17 percent DV), iron (15 percent DV) and copper (12 percent DV). Eating duck meat will supply 7 percent of the daily value of potassium and 5 percent of magnesium, as well as between 1 percent and 3 percent of manganese, calcium and sodium.
Other Nutrients
While it's high in cholesterol, duck provides small amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which contribute to heart health. It also supplies 65 mg of choline and 8.4 mg of betaine. These two nutrients are important for cell membranes, lipid metabolism, nerve impulses and reducing levels of homocysteine.
Comparison
The same serving size that includes the skin with the meat results in a significant increase in calories and fat. Calories go up to 337, and fat jumps from 17 percent to 44 percent total fat. However, the amount of cholesterol remains about the same, and the levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids increase. Omega-3 rises from 140 to 290 mg, and omega-6 goes from 1,290 to 3,360 mg.
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