Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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Our primal family is moving to Southern Florida next month. I know alligator is often served in local restaurants there so I'm wondering if there are any health benefits from eating it. I tried looking it up on Google but didn't find find much except that it "tastes like chicken". Some people say it's a good source of omega 3, others say it has none. My assumption is that it should be a good source of omega 3 since gators feed on small fish that typically eat algae...but I could be wrong. Does anyone know or have links? alt text

flag	asked Jul 16 at 14:05 D.K. 1,379●5●18

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If you have never tried it, do so just for the sake of it. If you can get some of your own, use an almond flour batter instead. It is quite tasty. – RaiseFitness Jul 16 at 14:23

Don'f forget the remoulade sauce. – Karen Jul 16 at 18:43

CD · Answer 1 · 2012-07-16 14:27:07Z UTC

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Certainly more healthy than the other way around...

http://www.wisegeek.com/is-alligator-meat-good-for-you.htm -- looks like very lean meat.

answered Jul 16 at 14:27

CD
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If having to choose....? Man, so true. – RaiseFitness Jul 16 at 14:33

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This articles points out that alligator meat is primarily farmed. So that raises another question: what do farmed alligators eat? I wonder if they make alligator feed pellets from grain. – D.K. Jul 16 at 14:42

john_e_turner_ii · Answer 2 · 2012-07-16 15:31:57Z UTC

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Just make sure it's grassfed alligator and not from a factory farm where they are just fed corn and meal.

answered Jul 16 at 15:31

john_e_turner_ii
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Lol! Grassfed alligator. – ThinnerStrength Jul 16 at 15:45

I think you mean wild alligator which means they would eat fish...not grass. – D.K. Jul 16 at 15:47

I cannot stop laughing at your comment! It just dawned on me!!! LOL – VB Jul 16 at 18:28

Laina · Answer 3 · 2012-07-16 14:19:29Z UTC

I'm not going to be too helpful on the health benefits of alligator but by Paleo rule it's acceptable. However, I can tell you I've had alligator prepared the traditional breaded and fried way and also pan fried or grilled and I will say it's not worth eating unless it's deep fried in some non-Paleo batter. I'm sure a better chef than me can prove my theory wrong, but the texture doesn't seem to work well for preparation beyond deep frying.

trjones · Answer 4 · 2012-07-16 14:59:07Z UTC

I've never had alligator, but I have had grilled crocodile a couple of times and loved it. It does taste kind of like chicken, but I thought the texture was almost shrimpy, if you can imagine that. It was really good. I'd say go for it, regardless of health effects/benefits. I can't imagine it could contain too much omega 6 (if that's your concern) considering how lean it is, and it's not going to be a staple of your diet, right?

sage_ · Answer 5 · 2012-07-16 15:17:18Z UTC

according to an article on Livestrong per 100g it contains 232 calories, 46g of protein, no carbs and only 4g of fat; none being saturated, and it has no cholesterol. the author of the article used these two facts to conclude alligator is a healthy choice, which made me laugh.

i do wonder what those 4g of fat are now.

sage_ · Answer 6 · 2012-07-16 15:27:12Z UTC

i found a completely different set of numbers at Food Reference dot com

perhaps the info above is based on cooked alligator?

Nutritional values for approximately 4 ounces (114 grams) of raw, edible portions Calories 110
Calories From Fat 20
Total Fat 2 g Saturated Fat .5 g Cholesterol 55 mg Sodium 55 mg Total Carbohydrates 0 g Protein 24 g

Are there any health benefits from eating alligator?

6 Answers