Cheddar Cheese vs. Spam
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Spam
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheddar cheese
versus
spam
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and spam:
- Both spam and cheddar cheese are high in calories, protein and saturated fat.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
- Spam has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) 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 spam and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 38% more calories than spam - spam has 293 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to spam for carbs. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 5% |
| Fat | 74% | 78% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spam and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Cheddar cheese and spam contain similar amounts of sugar - cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both spam and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Cheddar cheese has 83% more protein than spam - spam has 12.5g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spam and cheddar cheese are high in saturated fat. Cheddar cheese has 113% more saturated fat than spam - spam has 8.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spam and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of cholesterol - spam has 76mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than cheddar cheese - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than spam - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Spam and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Spam and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cheddar cheese and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spam has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both cheddar cheese and spam contain significant amounts of Vitamin B12.
| Cheddar Cheese | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.264 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.179 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 3.175 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.283 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | 0.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has more calcium than spam - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
iron
Spam has 357% more iron than cheddar cheese - spam has 0.64mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Spam is an excellent source of potassium and it has 642% more potassium than cheddar cheese - spam has 564mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spam has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cheddar cheese per 100 grams, however, cheddar cheese contains more dpa than spam per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.23 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.017 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.23 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spam has more linoleic acid than cheddar cheese per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 2.436 G |
| Total | 1.207 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: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .
Cheddar Cheese 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 spam or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both spam and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has 40% more calories than spam - spam has 293 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does cheddar cheese or spam contain more calcium?
Cheddar cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has more calcium than spam - cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium in 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Does spam or cheddar cheese contain more potassium?
Spam is a rich source of potassium and it has 640% more potassium than cheddar cheese - spam has 564mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.