Crocodile (Back Leg)

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

A very lean white meat — good for protein, but do not count on it for iron the way you would beef.

Stage by stage

Intake (Chewing begins breakdown): Chewing loosens the lean, dense muscle fibres to start digestion.
Stomach (Protein digestion starts): Stomach acid and enzymes begin breaking the protein into peptides.
Small intestine (Amino acids absorbed): Amino acids, along with modest iron, zinc and B12, are absorbed here.
Muscle tissue (Built into muscle protein): Amino acids are used to repair and build muscle tissue.

Timing

Any meal; its low fat content means nothing extra is needed to absorb its nutrients.

Time to effect

Days: Amino acids from a protein-rich meal are used for muscle repair within about 1 to 2 days.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Halal, Kosher, Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

203 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

9.9 kg CO2e and 660 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Poultry meat" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Pricey — roughly £14 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Lean complete protein
Low saturated fat

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 108.7
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrate: 0g
of which sugars: 0g
Fat: 2.2g
of which saturated: 0.6g
Fibre: 0g
Sodium: 70mg

Food vs. supplement

A 100g serving supplies about 22g of complete protein for under 110 calories — a leaner ratio than most protein supplements manage without added fillers.

Kitchen tip

Crocodile meat is very lean and can toughen quickly if overcooked — cook it gently, similar to how you would treat a lean fish fillet or chicken breast.

Common myth

“Exotic meats like crocodile are automatically more nutrient-dense than everyday meat.” In reality: Crocodile is a genuinely lean, high-protein meat, but its iron and B12 levels are lower than beef, lamb or kangaroo — closer to a lean poultry cut than to red meat.