Canned Tuna vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Spam


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

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

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

  • Both canned tuna and spam are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Spam has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, canned tuna contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of canned tuna 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: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) 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 Canned Tuna src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both canned tuna and spam are high in calories. Spam has 129% more calories than canned tuna - canned tuna has 128 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Canned Tuna Spam
Protein 78% 17%
Carbohydrates ~ 5%
Fat 22% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

Protein

protein

Both canned tuna and spam are high in protein. Canned tuna has 89% more protein than spam - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Spam is high in saturated fat and canned tuna has 91% less saturated fat than spam - canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Canned tuna has 45% less cholesterol than spam - canned tuna has 42mg 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 canned tuna - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than spam - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Spam has more Vitamin D than canned tuna - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spam and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Canned Tuna Spam
Thiamin 0.008 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.044 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 5.799 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.124 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.217 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 2 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.17 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Canned tuna has more calcium than spam - canned tuna has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Canned tuna and spam contain similar amounts of iron - canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.

potassium

Both canned tuna and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 138% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg 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 canned tuna per 100 grams, however, canned tuna contains more dha, epa and dpa than spam per 100 grams.

Canned Tuna Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.071 G 0.23 G
DHA 0.629 G ~
EPA 0.233 G ~
DPA 0.018 G ~
Total 0.951 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

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

Canned Tuna Spam
linoleic acid 0.055 G 2.436 G
other omega 6 0.051 G ~
Total 0.106 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 Canned Tuna or Spam .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .

Canned Tuna g

()
Daily Values (%)

Spam g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does canned tuna or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both canned tuna and spam are high in calories. Spam has 130% more calories than canned tuna - canned tuna has 128 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.

Is canned tuna or spam better for protein?
Both canned tuna and spam are high in protein. Canned tuna has 90% more protein than spam - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Does canned tuna or spam contain more potassium?
Both canned tuna and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 140% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.