Catfish is a budget-friendly, mild white fish that fits easily into high-protein meal plans. This per-serving calculator converts your portion size — grams, ounces, or pounds — into calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates using USDA nutrition data for both farm-raised and wild-caught catfish. Choose the form that matches how you eat it (raw or cooked with dry heat) and get an instant estimate for one portion.
Because plain catfish is naturally carbohydrate-free, the tool is especially useful for low-carb, keto, and diabetic-friendly meal planning. You can also use it to fine-tune recipes by entering the weight of catfish in each serving. While all values are estimates and can vary with cooking method and individual fish, the numbers are based on standard USDA reference portions, so you can log your meals with more confidence.
🐟 Catfish Calories Per Serving
Estimate calories, protein, fat, and carbs for farm-raised or wild catfish.
Estimates based on USDA reference values for channel catfish. Individual fish and cooking methods vary.
Step-by-Step Guide
Using this catfish calories calculator takes about 15 seconds. Start by entering the amount of catfish you plan to eat in the portion size field, then choose the unit that matches your food scale or recipe — grams work best for accuracy, but ounces and pounds are fine if that is how your package label reads. Next, select whether your catfish is farm-raised or wild-caught, and choose raw or cooked. Most people track cooked portions, since that is what ends up on the plate, but raw values are useful when weighing food before cooking or checking a nutrition label for uncooked fillets.
After you hit Calculate, the tool shows calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates for that exact serving. The breakdown line also converts your portion to grams and ounces, so you can see the equivalent serving size at a glance. If you only want a ballpark number, use the quick-fill buttons for common portions like 3 oz, 4 oz, 6 oz, or one average fillet.
Nutritional Reference Table
The calculator uses standard values for channel catfish from USDA FoodData Central. Farm-raised catfish contains more fat and calories than wild-caught catfish, and cooked portions are calorie-denser per 100 grams because cooking removes water and concentrates nutrients. Carbohydrate is zero in every form, which makes catfish naturally compatible with low-carb and keto meal patterns.
| Catfish form | Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm-raised, raw | 119 kcal | 18.4 g | 5.1 g | 0 g |
| Farm-raised, cooked dry heat | 162 kcal | 22.6 g | 7.6 g | 0 g |
| Wild-caught, raw | 95 kcal | 16.4 g | 2.9 g | 0 g |
| Wild-caught, cooked dry heat | 125 kcal | 21.4 g | 3.9 g | 0 g |
Values are per 100 grams and rounded from USDA estimates; actual fish vary.
How the Calculation Works
The math is a simple proportion. Each form of catfish has a known amount of energy per 100 g. When you enter a portion in ounces or pounds, the calculator first converts it to grams using 1 oz = 28.35 g and 1 lb = 453.6 g. It then multiplies the gram weight by the per-100 g calorie, protein, and fat values, and divides by 100 to get the totals for your serving.
For example, a 6 oz farm-raised fillet cooked by dry heat equals 170.1 g. Since cooked farm-raised catfish provides about 162 kcal per 100 g, the serving contains about 170.1 × 162 ÷ 100 = 276 kcal, with roughly 38 g of protein and 13 g of fat.
Tips for Accurate Tracking
- Use grams when you can. Digital kitchen scales are cheap and far more reliable than 'one fillet' estimates, which can range from 100 g to 200 g depending on the fish.
- Decide whether you want raw or cooked weights and stay consistent. Tracking both raw and cooked across different days can make your calorie totals look inconsistent even when your diet has not changed.
- Remember that cooking method matters more than you might think. Baking, broiling, or grilling removes water and increases calories per 100 g, while poaching may dilute the surface. Deep-frying or pan-frying with oil adds significant fat and calories on top of the catfish itself.
- Check package labels if your catfish is frozen or pre-seasoned. Some retail products contain added sodium, marinade, or breading that changes the calorie and carbohydrate counts.
If you also eat other white fish, the tilapia per-serving calculator uses the same approach for a comparably lean seafood option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is catfish good for weight loss? Yes, in moderation. A typical cooked 4 oz serving provides 130–180 kcal and roughly 22 g of protein, depending on whether it is farm-raised or wild. Protein helps with satiety, and the lack of carbs makes catfish easy to fit into calorie-controlled or lower-carb diets.
Should I track raw or cooked catfish? Track whichever weight you measured, but choose the matching nutrition values in the calculator. If you measured raw, select Raw. If you weighed the cooked fillet, select Cooked. Do not mix a raw weight with cooked calorie density, because that will overestimate your calories.
Why does farm-raised catfish have more calories? Farm-raised channel catfish generally has a higher fat content because the fish are fed an energy-dense commercial diet and are less active than wild fish. This is why the farmed entries show more calories and fat per 100 g. Wild-caught catfish is leaner but can be more variable in composition depending on season, water temperature, and food availability.
Does catfish contain carbohydrates? No. Like most fish, catfish is essentially carbohydrate-free in its plain form. The carb count only rises when you add breading, flour, cornmeal, or a sweet sauce. If you track net carbs, you can count plain catfish as 0 g and still be accurate.
How big is an average catfish fillet? A standard retail catfish fillet weighs roughly 5 to 6 oz (about 150–170 g) raw. After cooking, the same fillet weighs closer to 110–130 g due to moisture loss. The quick-fill 1 fillet button in the calculator uses approximately 151 g for this reason.