Group · Meat
Black pudding
Black pudding (boudin noir) is one of the oldest cold meats: pork blood, fat and onions, stuffed into a casing. The blood is exactly what makes it nutritionally interesting, and it has no equivalent at the counter.
As for nutrition facts, for cooking: 297 kcal per 100 g, with 27.1 g of fat including 9.57 g of saturated fat, and 12.2 g of protein. Its exceptional figure is the iron: 17.4 mg per 100 g, or 124% of the reference intake, by far the top food in the database on this measure. It contains 1.29 g of salt.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 297 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 1230 kJ |
| Protein | 12,2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0,3 g |
| Fat | 27,1 g |
| Fibre | 1,5 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Iron17,4 mg124 %
- Copper0,3 mg30 %
- Omega-6 LA2,92 g29 %
- Phosphorus137 mg20 %
- Selenium8 µg15 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,22 g11 %
- Vitamin B20,13 mg9 %
- Potassium162 mg8 %
See the other 8 nutrients
- Vitamin B120,19 µg8 %
- Zinc0,37 mg4 %
- Iodine5 µg3 %
- Vitamin B10,03 mg3 %
- Calcium22,4 mg3 %
- Vitamin B30,41 mg3 %
- Magnesium6,84 mg2 %
- Vitamin B92,22 µg1 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
No common food provides as much iron. 17.4 mg per 100 g, five times a beef steak and more than liver. A 120 g portion covers one and a half times the daily reference intake.
And it is haem iron, the best absorbed. Unlike the iron in lentils or spinach, it needs no cofactor: its absorption rate is three to four times higher. Black pudding is the most effective food against iron deficiency.
It is fatty, and that needs saying. 27.1 g of fat per 100 g, and only 12.2 g of protein: blood and onion are not muscle. Pan-fried with no added fat, with an apple rather than potatoes, it remains a balanced dish.
It counts towards the processed meat guideline. 150 g a week, all products combined. One portion of black pudding a week is a very good use of this allowance.
It bursts if you prick it. Cook it gently in a pan or in the oven, without piercing the casing. A light nick in one place is enough to prevent splitting.