The crocodile is a semi-aquatic reptile with a V-shaped snout on its long narrow head. Over the years, people have found out the various uses of crocodiles and their body parts. Moreover, in different countries, people commercially farm crocodiles for their leather and meat.
Its leather makes different luxurious goods like shoes, handbags, belts, caps, wallets, and many more. Similarly, many restaurants and eateries worldwide serve crocodile meat as their specials. It is primarily consumed for its nutritional value. Below, we discuss in detail the nutritional facts of crocodile meat and see if it is good for you or not.
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Nutritional Facts.
Crocodile has white flesh, firm flesh. Its meat is mostly compared with lamb, while its taste is similar to the mixture of crab and chicken. Despite their appearance and taste, crocodile’s meats are consumed for their high nutritional values and also their curing abilities.
Speaking of its nutritional value, 100g of crocodile meat provides 104 calories. Similarly, the same amount of meat contains 46g protein and 2.9g fat with zero carbohydrates. Moreover, crocodile meat contains essential dietary fibers, amino acids and is a good source of fatty acids like Omega-3.
Is it good for you?
Crocodile meat is suitable for people with several health conditions. Consuming it can bring health benefits as follows:
- Its high protein content helps in building muscles and increases the human immune system. Moreover, this protein also keeps skin healthy and prevents wrinkles.
- The potassium content of crocodile meat also helps in preventing heart disease.
- As it contains very little fat in comparison to other meat, it helps to prevent atherosclerosis.
- The crocodile meat’s potassium content helps keep heart functions in check and thus reduces the risks of heart diseases.
- The essential amino acid in the meat keeps diabetes under control.
- Crocodile meat contains a very high level of calcium as compared to any other meat product. Thus, consuming it increases our bones’ strength.
- The micronutrients like magnesium help maintain nerve functions in the human body and thus prevent neural diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Health Benefits.
Although crocodile meat has very high health benefits, it brings specific risks for people with definite health conditions. It contains a high amount of protein, amino acids, and fatty acids. Thus, people with a history of allergy should check before consuming the meat, as it may trigger reactions in the body. Similarly, croc meat also contains mercury which has proven highly hazardous for pregnant women.
How to cook Crocodile meat?
Crocodile’s flesh is all white and lean meat. It is full of protein, and thus, most people use it for building muscles and recovering from injuries. Moreover, the meat’s great taste has attracted people worldwide. While there are numerous ways to cook this low-fat meat, below, we discuss one of the best ways to do it.
Before cooking, we refrigerate the meat for at least 12 hours. By doing so, we conserve its flavor and prevent its moisture from running out during the thawing process. The meat tastes more like chicken, but it is better to treat it like a fish while cooking.
Thus, we first season the crocodile fillet with some salt and pepper and fry it on a non-stick pan for about 2-3 minutes until each side becomes golden brown. We can use butter instead of oil for better taste and squeeze a little lemon over the top.
Crocodile meat vs. Alligator meat
Both crocodiles and Alligator belong to the same crocodilian family. Both their meats are white, with high protein content and less fat. Moreover, they contain about the same amount of vitamins and minerals, and they both taste like chicken meat.
Despite so many similarities, crocodile meat and alligator meat differ a little in their sodium and cholesterol content. Alligator meat is known to provide a higher amount of sodium and less cholesterol than croc meat.
