How many calories in prawns?

100g of plain cooked prawns has around 80 calories with 17.5g of protein and less than 1g of fat. One of the leanest protein sources you can buy.

Very — high protein, low calorie, NOVA 1. The only watch-out is breaded or battered prawns, which triple the calories and add UPF ingredients.

What is the glycemic index of prawns?

Prawns has a glycemic index of 0, which is classified as Low GI. Prawns contain zero carbohydrates, so they have no measurable glycemic index.

Glucose: Very LowNOVA 1

How Many Calories for Prawns?

100g of cooked prawns has around 70-100 calories with 15-20g of protein and virtually zero carbs. Prawns are one of the lowest-calorie protein sources available — NOVA 1 when plain.

Calories by preparation

Method	Calories	Protein	Fat	Carbs	NOVA
Cooked & peeled king prawns (100g)Very lean — nearly pure protein	80	17.5g	0.8g	0.5g	1
Breaded/battered prawns (100g)Breading nearly triples the caloriesBatter coating adds modified starch, flavourings, raising agents — NOVA 4	220	12g	12g	18g	4
Prawn tempura (4 pieces, ~80g)Lighter batter than breadcrumbs but still doubles calories	180	8g	10g	14g	3

Nutrition per 100g

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy	64.3 kcal / 269 kJ	64.3 kcal
Protein	15.9g	15.9g
Carbohydrates	0.2g	0.2g
of which sugars	0.3g	—
Fat	0.5g	0.5g
of which saturated	0.2g	—
Fibre	0.2g	—
Salt	1.2g	—

Serving size: 1 portion (~150g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Glycemic Index

Very Low

Glucose risk

Plain prawns contain virtually zero carbohydrates. No measurable glucose impact. Breaded prawns are different — the coating adds 15-20g of fast-absorbing carbs.

Processing level

NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Plain cooked prawns are NOVA 1 — just prawns and salt water. Breaded, battered, or pre-marinated prawns jump to NOVA 3-4 depending on the coating ingredients.

Prawns at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Tesco Cooked And Peeled King Prawns 150G

£3.75*

Tesco Cooked & Peeled King Prawns 210g

£5.25*

Tesco Finest Cooked Jumbo King Prawns 150G

£4.25*

Tesco Finest Cooked Canadian Coldwater Prawns 150g

£3.95*

Mr Prawn Cooked & Peeled Prawns 100/150 350G

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

Plain raw or cooked prawns are NOVA 1 and very low calorie (70-100 kcal per 100g) with high protein (15-20g). Breaded and battered prawns jump to NOVA 4 with 200+ kcal and added starch, flavourings, and palm oil. Prawn cocktail sauce adds 300+ kcal per 100g. For the best value, frozen raw king prawns are cheapest per kilo.

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