Quail meat is a sweet and delicate, some would say savorous, game meat with extremely low skin fat and low cholesterol value. Quail meat is rich in micronutrients and a wide range of vitamins including the B complex, folate and vitamin E and K. It is therefore recommended for people with high cholesterol levels and those who want to maintain a low level of cholesterol.
Macronutrients:
A 3-ounce serving of cooked quail without skin contains 110 calories, 19 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat, including 1 gram of saturated fat. If you consume a 2,000-calorie diet, this amounts to 35 percent of your protein for the day and 6 percent of the recommended fat and saturated fat.
Vitamins:
Consuming a serving of quail provides you with 35 percent of the daily value for niacin, 25 percent of the DV for vitamin B-6, 15 percent of the DV for riboflavin and thiamine and 10 percent of the DV for vitamin C. The B vitamins niacin, vitamin B-6, riboflavin and thiamine are all essential for turning the food you eat into energy, and vitamin C is an antioxidant that is needed to make collagen, which is necessary for forming bone, ligaments, blood vessels and tendons.
Minerals:
Quail is a good source of minerals, with a serving providing 25 percent of the DV for phosphorus, 20 percent of the DV for iron, 15 percent of the DV for zinc and 6 percent of the DV for magnesium. Phosphorus helps with kidney function, cell growth and strengthening your bones. Iron is necessary to form hemoglobin and transport oxygen around your body, and zinc is important for forming DNA and protein, wound healing and immune function.
Quail meat -- nearly a chicken, but better
When it comes to composition, research has swown quail meat to have some interesting properties. In terms of its basic composition, it is quite similar to broiler (chicken) meat. Accordingly, it has a high protein content and a relatively low fat content (when skin is taken out, the figures for fat drop around 60% for quails and 80% for broilers). In terms of lipids, it has slightly more undesired saturated fats. However, it also has a higher content of the good polyunsaturated fatty acids. Looking at the minerals, we can see it is a significant source of phosphorus, iron and copper, while providing reasonable amounts of zinc and selenium. Vitamin-wise, it has high niacin (vitamin B3) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6) content. So, it has either the same or substantially higher amounts of minerals and vitamins when compared to broilers.
Nutritional data and images courtesy of www.NutritionData.com
