Clams vs. Salmon

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Clams and Salmon


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in clams and salmon:

  • Both clams and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Clam has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, salmon contains more niacin and Vitamin B6.
  • Clam is a great source of iron.
  • Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium.
  • Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
Detailed nutritional comparison of clams and salmon 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: Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) and Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Clams src
Image of Salmon src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both clams and salmon are high in calories. Clam has 17% more calories than salmon - clam has 148 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, clams is heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to salmon per calorie. Clams has a macronutrient ratio of 73:15:13 and for salmon, 67:0:33 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Clams Salmon
Protein 73% 67%
Carbohydrates 15% ~
Fat 13% 33%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Salmon has less carbohydrates than clam - clam has 5.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both clams and salmon are high in protein. Clam has 25% more protein than salmon - clam has 25.6g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both clams and salmon are low in saturated fat - clam has 0.19g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both salmon and clams are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Clams and salmon contain similar amounts of cholesterol - clam has 67mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and salmon has 46mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than salmon - clam has 22.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Clam is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 389% more Vitamin A than salmon - clam has 171ug 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 clam - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Salmon has more Vitamin E than clam - salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Salmon and clams contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Clam has more riboflavin, folate and Vitamin B12, however, salmon contains more niacin and Vitamin B6. Both clams and salmon contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.

Clams Salmon
Thiamin 0.15 MG 0.08 MG
Riboflavin 0.426 MG 0.105 MG
Niacin 3.354 MG 7.995 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.68 MG 1.03 MG
Vitamin B6 0.11 MG 0.611 MG
Folate 29 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 98.89 UG 4.15 UG

Minerals

calcium

Clam is an excellent source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than salmon - clam has 92mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.

iron

Clam is a great source of iron and it has 639% more iron than salmon - clam has 2.8mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Both clams and salmon are high in potassium. Clam has 72% more potassium than salmon - clam has 628mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and dha than clam per 100 grams, however, clam contains more dpa than salmon per 100 grams. Both clams and salmon contain significant amounts of EPA.

Clams Salmon
alpha linoleic acid 0.008 G 0.047 G
DHA 0.146 G 0.333 G
EPA 0.138 G 0.182 G
DPA 0.104 G 0.047 G
Total 0.396 G 0.609 G

omega 6s

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

Clams Salmon
linoleic acid 0.032 G 0.081 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.004 G
Total 0.032 G 0.085 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: Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) and Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) .

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FAQ

Does clams or salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both clams and salmon are high in calories. Clam has 20% more calories than salmon - clam has 148 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.

Is clams or salmon better for protein?
Both clams and salmon are high in protein. Clam has 30% more protein than salmon - clam has 25.6g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.

Does clams or salmon contain more calcium?
Clam is a rich source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than salmon - clam has 92mg of calcium in 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.

Does clams or salmon contain more potassium?
Both clams and salmon are high in potassium. Clam has 70% more potassium than salmon - clam has 628mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.