Salmon vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Salmon and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
salmon
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in salmon and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Salmon has 69% less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Salmon has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, salmon contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than salmon.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both spirulina and salmon are high in calories. Spirulina has 128% more calories than salmon - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, salmon is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Salmon has a macronutrient ratio of 67:0:33 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Salmon | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 67% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 25% |
| Fat | 33% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Salmon has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than salmon - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Salmon has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both spirulina and salmon are high in protein. Spirulina has 180% more protein than salmon - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Salmon has 69% less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both salmon and spirulina are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Spirulina has less cholesterol than salmon - salmon has 46mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than salmon - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than spirulina - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 11 times more Vitamin E than salmon - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 62 times more Vitamin K than salmon - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, salmon contains more Vitamin B12. Both salmon and spirulina contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Salmon | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.08 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.105 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 7.995 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.03 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.611 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.15 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than salmon - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 74 times more iron than salmon - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both spirulina and salmon are high in potassium. Spirulina has 272% more potassium than salmon - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than salmon per 100 grams, however, salmon contains more dha, epa and dpa than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.823 G |
| DHA | 0.333 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.182 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.047 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.609 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.081 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.085 G | 1.254 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.
Salmon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both spirulina and salmon are high in calories. Spirulina has 130% more calories than salmon - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is spirulina or salmon better for protein?
Both spirulina and salmon are high in protein. Spirulina has 180% more protein than salmon - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does spirulina or salmon contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than salmon - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or salmon contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 74 times more iron than salmon - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
Does spirulina or salmon contain more potassium?
Both spirulina and salmon are high in potassium. Spirulina has 270% more potassium than salmon - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.