Canned Tuna vs. Spam
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Spam
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
canned tuna
versus
spam
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and spam:
- Both canned tuna and spam are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Spam has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, canned tuna contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) 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 canned tuna and spam are high in calories. Spam has 129% more calories than canned tuna - canned tuna has 128 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 5% |
| Fat | 22% | 78% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spam and canned tuna are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both canned tuna and spam are high in protein. Canned tuna has 89% more protein than spam - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spam is high in saturated fat and canned tuna has 91% less saturated fat than spam - canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Canned tuna has 45% less cholesterol than spam - canned tuna has 42mg 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 canned tuna - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than spam - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Spam has more Vitamin D than canned tuna - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spam and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spam has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, canned tuna contains more pantothenic acid. Both canned tuna and spam contain significant amounts of niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Canned Tuna | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 0.264 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 0.179 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 3.175 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.283 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | 0.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Canned tuna has more calcium than spam - canned tuna has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
iron
Canned tuna and spam contain similar amounts of iron - canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.
potassium
Both canned tuna and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 138% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg 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 canned tuna per 100 grams, however, canned tuna contains more dha, epa and dpa than spam per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.23 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.233 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.018 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.23 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spam has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 2.436 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.051 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.106 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .
Canned Tuna 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 canned tuna or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?Both canned tuna and spam are high in calories. Spam has 130% more calories than canned tuna - canned tuna has 128 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.
Is canned tuna or spam better for protein?
Both canned tuna and spam are high in protein. Canned tuna has 90% more protein than spam - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Does canned tuna or spam contain more potassium?
Both canned tuna and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 140% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.