Chicken Breast vs. Spam
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Spam
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
chicken breast
versus
spam
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chicken breast and spam:
- Both chicken breast and spam are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Spam has more thiamin, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken breast and spam are high in calories. Spam has 78% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chicken Breast | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 79% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 5% |
| Fat | 21% | 78% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spam and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and spam are high in protein. Chicken breast has 148% more protein than spam - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spam is high in saturated fat and chicken breast has 89% less saturated fat than spam - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Chicken breast and spam contain similar amounts of cholesterol - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spam has 76mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than chicken breast - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than spam - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Spam has 360% more Vitamin D than chicken breast - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spam has 23iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spam has more thiamin, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both chicken breast and spam contain significant amounts of riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Chicken Breast | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.07 MG | 0.264 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.179 MG |
| Niacin | 13.712 MG | 3.175 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.965 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 MG | 0.283 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.34 UG | 0.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast has more calcium than spam - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
iron
Chicken breast has 63% more iron than spam - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 120% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spam has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than spam per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.03 G | 0.23 G |
| DHA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.07 G | 0.23 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spam has more linoleic acid than chicken breast per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.59 G | 2.436 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.06 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.65 G | 2.436 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Chicken Breast or Spam .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .
Cooked Chicken Breast g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spam g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does chicken breast or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and spam are high in calories. Spam has 80% more calories than chicken breast - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.
Is chicken breast or spam better for protein?
Both chicken breast and spam are high in protein. Chicken breast has 150% more protein than spam - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Does chicken breast or spam contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 120% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.