Snails are surprisingly nutritious, as long as you don't eat all the butter often slathered over and around them. Like any animal meat, snails -- which sound much more edible when referred to by their French name of escargot -- provide a hefty dose of protein, little carbohydrate and some fat. Snails also serve as an excellent source of iron and other essential minerals, such as potassium and phosphorus.
Calories and Protein
A 100-gram serving of snails -- about 3.5 ounces -- provides 90 calories. Most of the calories in a dish of snails come from protein. A serving of snails packs a protein punch, that, while not quite equal to beef or chicken, compares favorably with seafood. A 100-gram serving adds 16.5 grams of protein to your diet, compared to 30 grams in a serving of white-meat chicken and 25 grams in a serving of dark-meat chicken. A 100-gram serving of catfish provides 19 grams of protein. A Nigerian study published in the 2009 "International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health" found that snails provided an excellent and inexpensive source of protein and iron for children and young mothers.
Carbohydrates
If you're following a low-carbohydrate diet, both snails and their most frequent accompaniment -- melted butter -- fit well into your diet as a snack, an appetizer or a meal. A serving of snails contains just 2 grams of carbohydrates, while the butter doesn't add a single carb.
Fat
Like other animal sources of food, snails do contain fat, although not very much. An entire serving contains just 1.4 grams of fat, with slightly more unsaturated than saturated fat. A serving of snails contains 50 grams of cholesterol; if you add the butter sauce, you will get extra dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. A tablespoon of butter contains 11 grams of fat and 31 grams of cholesterol.
Vitamins and Minerals
A 100-gram serving supplies 3.5 milligrams of iron; that's more iron than beef, which contains around 4 milligrams of iron in a 6-ounce serving. This equals nearly half of your daily 8 milligram iron requirement if you're male or a postmenopausal woman and about 20 percent of the 18 milligrams you need if you're a woman of childbearing age. A serving of snails contains about the same amount of potassium as beef, 382 milligrams, as well as 250 milligrams of magnesium, far more than beef, chicken, pork or fish, which provide about 30 milligrams of magnesium.
Preparation
Preparing snails properly is imperative if you don't want to get sick. Snail intestines can contain decayed material and toxins. You must purge their intestines for about 10 days if you're preparing them yourself. Feed the snails plain lettuce during this period. Give them only water two days before you plan to eat them, so they have time to discharge all their slime, advises the May 1988 issue of "Home and Garden." If you're purchasing prepared snails, buy only from a trusted commercial source.
References (6)
- USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Mollusks, Snail, Raw
- Health Alternatives 2000: Meats and Proteins Chart
- Home and Garden: Garden Snails as Escargot
- International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health -- Snail (Archachatina marginata) Pie, A Nutrient Rich Snack for School-age Children and Young Mothers
- USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Butter
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
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