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.
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.
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 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 Lamb or Spam .
Cooked Lamb 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 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.