Pork vs. Spam
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Pork and Spam
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
pork
versus
spam
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pork and spam:
- Both pork and spam are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
- Pork has more thiamin and pantothenic acid.
- Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pork (Pork, fresh, ground, 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 pork and spam are high in calories. Pork is very similar to spam for calories - pork has 297 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pork is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Pork has a macronutrient ratio of 36:0:65 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pork | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 5% |
| Fat | 65% | 78% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spam and pork are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and pork does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pork and spam are high in protein. Pork has 106% more protein than spam - pork has 25.7g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pork and spam are high in saturated fat. Spam has 15% more saturated fat than pork - pork has 7.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pork and spam contain similar amounts of cholesterol - pork has 94mg 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 60 times more Vitamin C than pork - pork has 0.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spam has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Pork and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - pork has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Pork and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - pork has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spam has 23iu of Vitamin D.
Vitamin E
Pork and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pork has 0.21mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Pork has more thiamin and pantothenic acid. Both pork and spam contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and Vitamin B12.
| Pork | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.706 MG | 0.264 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.22 MG | 0.179 MG |
| Niacin | 4.206 MG | 3.175 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.52 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.391 MG | 0.283 MG |
| Folate | 6 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.54 UG | 0.61 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pork has more calcium than spam - pork has 22mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.
iron
Pork has 102% more iron than spam - pork has 1.3mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.
potassium
Both pork and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 56% more potassium than pork - pork has 362mg 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 pork per 100 grams.
| Pork | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.07 G | 0.23 G |
| Total | 0.07 G | 0.23 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pork and spam contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pork | Spam | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.64 G | 2.436 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.08 G | ~ |
| Total | 1.72 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 Pork 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 pork or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pork and spam are high in calories. Pork is quite similar to spam for calories - pork has 297 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.
Is pork or spam better for protein?
Both pork and spam are high in protein. Pork has 110% more protein than spam - pork has 25.7g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.
Does pork or spam contain more potassium?
Both pork and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 60% more potassium than pork - pork has 362mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.