If you are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain, you are probably paying more attention to the calories in different foods. Shrimp can be a great choice for your diet, but any food, including shrimp, can be fattening if you do not eat it in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet. A nutritionist can work with you to develop healthy recipes using shrimp.
Calorie Balance
The balance of the calories you eat and the calories you expend determines whether you gain weight, lose weight or maintain your current weight. A positive energy, or calorie, balance means that you are eating more calories than you burn, and you will gain weight. Shrimp can be fattening if you add them to your diet and the extra calories put you into positive energy balance.
Calorie Comparision
Shrimp is an example of a lean protein, and a 3-oz. serving of steamed shrimp has only 101 calories. This makes shrimp a good choice for weight loss, especially when compared to fatty proteins, such as short ribs, at 400 calories, or dark-meat chicken with the skin, at 198 calories, in the same serving size. However, shrimp can be fattening if you do not restrict your portion size. If you have a large plate of shrimp, such as one served at many restaurants, you may be eating hundreds of calories without realizing it.
Cooking Method
Shrimp can be fattening if your cooking technique adds calories without your realizing it. Steaming and grilling are low-calorie methods of cooking, but oil or butter used in frying or deep-frying are sources of additional fat and calories. Breading adds carbohydrates and calories. A 3-oz. serving of breaded, fried shrimp contains 206 calories, 10 g fat and 10 g carbohydrates. Fried, breaded foods are more likely to cause weight gain than steamed or grilled foods.
Other Information
Shrimp can be fattening if you choose high-calorie dishes instead of lower-calorie options. For example, shrimp soup made with broth and vegetables can be low-calorie, but shrimp soup made with a cream base is higher in calories and fat. At a Chinese restaurant, shrimp with steamed vegetables is filling and nutritious, but fried rice or noodles with shrimp would be a higher-calorie entree. As long as you monitor your intake, you can probably fit shrimp into your diet plan.
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