Lamb vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lamb and Spam


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked lamb versus spam (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lamb and spam:

  • Both lamb and spam are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
  • Spam has more thiamin, however, lamb contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lamb and spam is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) 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.


Image of Lamb src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both lamb and spam are high in calories. Lamb is very similar to lamb for calories - lamb has 283 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lamb is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Lamb has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:64 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lamb Spam
Protein 36% 17%
Carbohydrates ~ 5%
Fat 64% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spam and lamb are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both lamb and spam are high in protein. Lamb has 98% more protein than spam - lamb has 24.8g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lamb and spam are high in saturated fat. Lamb is very similar to lamb for saturated fat - lamb has 8.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Lamb and spam contain similar amounts of cholesterol - lamb 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 lamb - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lamb does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Spam has 10 times more Vitamin D than lamb - lamb has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spam has 23iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Lamb and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lamb has 0.14mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Lamb has more Vitamin K than spam - lamb has 5.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Spam has more thiamin, however, lamb contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12. Both lamb and spam contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.

Lamb Spam
Thiamin 0.1 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.25 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 6.7 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.66 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.14 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 19 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 2.61 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lamb has more calcium than spam - lamb has 22mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Lamb has 180% more iron than spam - lamb has 1.8mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.

potassium

Both lamb and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 66% more potassium than lamb - lamb has 339mg of potassium per 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both lamb and spam contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Lamb Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.26 G 0.23 G
Total 0.26 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spam has more linoleic acid than lamb per 100 grams.

Lamb Spam
linoleic acid 1.07 G 2.436 G
other omega 6 0.07 G ~
Total 1.14 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: Lamb (Lamb, ground, cooked, broiled) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .

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FAQ

Does lamb or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both lamb and spam are high in calories. Lamb is quite similar to lamb for calories - lamb has 283 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.

Is lamb or spam better for protein?
Both lamb and spam are high in protein. Lamb has 100% more protein than spam - lamb has 24.8g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Does lamb or spam contain more potassium?
Both lamb and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 70% more potassium than lamb - lamb has 339mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.