Bacon vs. Spam
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Bacon and Spam
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
bacon
versus
spam
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bacon and spam:
- Both bacon and spam are high in calories and saturated fat.
- Spam has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
- Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) 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 bacon and spam are high in calories. Bacon has 206% more calories than spam - bacon has 898 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bacon is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spam per calorie. Bacon has a macronutrient ratio of 0:0:100 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bacon | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 5% |
| Fat | 100% | 78% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spam and bacon are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Spam is an excellent source of protein and it has 177 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bacon and spam are high in saturated fat. Bacon has 261% more saturated fat than spam - bacon has 32g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Bacon and spam contain similar amounts of cholesterol - bacon has 97mg 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 bacon - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Bacon has more Vitamin A than spam - bacon has 11ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Spam has more Vitamin D than bacon - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spam and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spam has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Bacon | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.004 MG | 0.264 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.015 MG | 0.179 MG |
| Niacin | 0.725 MG | 3.175 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.007 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.005 MG | 0.283 MG |
| Folate | ~ | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.09 UG | 0.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Bacon and spam contain similar amounts of calcium - bacon has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
iron
Spam has 392% more iron than bacon - bacon has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.
potassium
Spam is an excellent source of potassium and it has 36 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium per 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, bacon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than spam per 100 grams.
| Bacon | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.476 G | 0.23 G |
| Total | 0.476 G | 0.23 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bacon has more linoleic acid than spam per 100 grams.
| Bacon | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.442 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 9.426 G | 2.436 G |
| Total | 9.868 G | 2.436 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Cooked Bacon 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 bacon or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bacon and spam are high in calories. Bacon has 210% more calories than spam - bacon has 898 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.
Does bacon or spam contain more potassium?
Spam is a rich source of potassium and it has 36 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.