Mussels and shrimp both headline a seafood platter, and both share shellfish’s characteristic higher sodium content — though not equally.
| Nutrient | Mussels | Shrimp |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 86 kcal | 71.4 kcal |
| Protein | 11.9 g | 15.6 g ✓ |
| Total Carbohydrate | 3.69 g | 0.49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total Sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Total Fat | 2.24 g | 0.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.43 g | 0.1 g ✓ |
| Sodium | 286 mg ✓ | 475 mg |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Shrimp has the protein edge and less saturated fat, while mussels carry meaningfully less sodium — a real point in their favour given how sodium-heavy shellfish tends to run as a category. Mussels also bring a touch of natural carbohydrate that shrimp doesn’t have. Both are lean, quick-cooking shellfish that work well in the same kinds of dishes: pasta, curries, or simply steamed with garlic and wine.
Common questions
Are mussels lower in sodium than other shellfish? Relatively, yes — mussels run lower in sodium than shrimp and scallops on our data, though still higher than most fin fish, since shellfish as a category naturally carries more sodium from its marine environment.
Which has more protein, mussels or shrimp? Shrimp — around 15.6g per 100g versus roughly 11.9g for mussels, though both are excellent lean protein sources.
Nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central approximations — see our editorial approach for how we source and verify data.