Scallops vs shrimp: calories compared

Both are lean shellfish, close on protein at 26 g against 23 g per 4 oz (113 g) serving. Cooked shrimp carries more cholesterol, about 238 mg against 46 mg for steamed scallops, and more sodium, about 1,070 mg against 754 mg.

That cholesterol may matter less than it looks, at least with normal blood lipids. In a randomized crossover trial in such adults, 10.6 oz (300 g) of shrimp a day raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL by 12.1%, and the ratio between them did not get worse.

Tropomyosin, the main shellfish allergen, cross-reacts between crustaceans such as shrimp and mollusks such as scallops. In one shrimp-allergic girl, the same 38 kDa protein in shrimp, crab and scallops bound her antibodies. If you react to shrimp, treat scallops with the same care and ask an allergist. Do not count on cooking: in a lab study, cooked crustacean extracts bound allergy antibodies more strongly than raw. Confirmed shellfish allergy is uncommon, about 1 in 1,000 Europeans.

Both are FDA and EPA Best Choices, so in pregnancy or breastfeeding either counts toward 2 to 3 servings of 4 oz a week. Cook both through. Filter-feeding bivalves concentrate norovirus, and the FDA tells pregnant women to avoid partially cooked seafood.

Without an allergy, pick by taste and price. Watching sodium favors scallops.

Evidence behind this note

1. Level B Three hundred grams of shrimp a day raised LDL cholesterol by a fourteenth and HDL by an eighth, so the ratio between them did not get worse. Am J Clin Nutr, 1996
2. Level B In a crossover RCT, 11 oz (300 g) of shrimp a day raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL by 12.1%, so the LDL to HDL ratio did not worsen. Am J Clin Nutr, 1996
3. Level C Tropomyosin is the major shellfish allergen and it cross-reacts between crustaceans and molluscs, which is why a shrimp allergy puts clams and mussels in question rather than in the clear. Immunol Invest, 2016
4. Level D In a 14-year-old girl with shrimp allergy who reacted to scallops after exercise, IgE bound the same 38 kDa band in shrimp, crab and scallop and inhibition tests showed cross-reactivity, pointing to tropomyosin as the shared allergen. J Dermatol, 2006
5. Level D Cooking made crustacean extracts bind allergy antibodies more strongly, not less, in every species tested. PLoS One, 2017
6. Level C Across 93 European studies, self-reported lifetime shellfish allergy is 0.4% and food-challenge-verified shellfish allergy is 0.1%, the second lowest of the eight big allergens after fish. Allergy, 2023
7. Level E The FDA and EPA list both salmon and tilapia as Best Choices and advise 2 to 3 servings of 4 ounces a week during pregnancy and breastfeeding. FDA/EPA, Questions and Answers on Advice about Eating Fish
8. Level E Bivalve molluscs concentrate norovirus by filter feeding, and a review of two decades of outbreaks reports that high viral loads persist after depuration and typical food preparation steps, which is why raw or lightly cooked bivalves are a recurring outbreak vehicle. Transbound Emerg Dis, 2020
9. Level E The FDA advises people at higher risk of foodborne illness, including pregnant women and children, to avoid raw fish and raw or undercooked eggs, and says pregnancy changes the immune system in a way that raises that risk. US FDA, People at Risk of Foodborne Illness

Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.

Read more about these foods

• Scallops: a lean shellfish with almost no science of its own
• Shrimp: one trial from 1996 still answers the only question people ask

What the studies say

• Is shrimp good for weight loss? Untested, and fish trials show under 4.4 lb (2 kg)

Rankings and guides

• Calories: what it does and what the evidence shows
• Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
• Dietary fat: what it does and how much you need
• Shrimp: full nutrition facts

More comparisons

• Shrimp vs chicken
• Shrimp vs beef

• Scallops: USDA FoodData Central, Mollusks, scallop, (bay and sea), cooked, steamed, FDC ID 167742 · all forms of scallops
• Shrimp: USDA FoodData Central, Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, cooked, moist heat (may contain additives to retain moisture), FDC ID 171971 · full profile · all forms of shrimp

Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ, and the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.