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Duck Meat Facts

Duck is popular in Asian and French cuisine. Duck meat, although classified as poultry and regarded as white meat, has darker flesh than chicken or turkey. This is due to the increased oxygen stored by the myoglobin in the ducks muscles. Duck meat also has a stronger flavor than other varieties of poultry. The breast and leg meat, like other poultry, has differing nutritional value.

  1. Calories, Fat and Cholesterol

    • A 100g (3.53 oz.) serving of duck breast, without skin, contains 140 calories, 3g fat and 143mg cholesterol. This equates to 5 percent, 3 percent and 48 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), respectively. The same portion of leg meat, without skin, contains 178 calories, or 6 percent of the RDA, 6g fat or 7 percent of the RDA, and 103mg cholesterol, 38 percent of the RDA.

    Protein and Carbohydrates

    • Duck meat has a high protein content. A 100g breast contains 28g protein, equivalent to 44 percent of the RDA. The same serving of leg meat contains 29g protein, or 46 percent of the RDA. There are trace amounts of carbohydrates in duck meat.

    Vitamins

    • Duck meat is rich in the B-vitamin niacin, containing 10.4mg per 100g serving of breast meat, and 5.3mg in the same serving of leg meat. This equates to 54 percent and 27 percent of the RDA, respectively. Duck meat also provides a small amount of vitamin C, offering approximately 5 percent of the RDA per serving.

    Minerals

    • Many minerals are found in duck meat, including phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and copper, but most notably iron and selenium. A 100g skinned duck breast contains 4.5mg, or 45 percent of the RDA of iron. The same portion provides 29mg, or 41 percent of the RDA of selenium.

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