Cheese vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Spam


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

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

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

  • Both cheese and spam are high in calories, protein and saturated fat.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
  • Spam has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, cheese contains more pantothenic acid, folate and Vitamin B12.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cheese 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) 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 Cheese src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cheese and spam are high in calories. Cheese has 31% more calories than spam - cheese has 384 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheese is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to spam for fat. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheese Spam
Protein 25% 17%
Carbohydrates ~ 5%
Fat 75% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cheese and spam are low in carbohydrates - cheese has 0.13g of total carbs per 100 grams and spam has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

Protein

protein

Both cheese and spam are high in protein. Cheese has 88% more protein than spam - cheese has 23.5g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both cheese and spam are high in saturated fat. Cheese has 81% more saturated fat than spam - cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Cheese and spam contain similar amounts of cholesterol - cheese has 95mg 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 cheese - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than spam - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Cheese and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spam has 23iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Cheese and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cheese and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Cheese Spam
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 13 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has more calcium than spam - cheese has 659mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Cheese and spam contain similar amounts of iron - cheese has 0.59mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.

potassium

Spam is an excellent source of potassium and it has 564% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg of potassium per 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both cheese and spam contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cheese Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.23 G
Total 0.332 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

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

Cheese Spam
linoleic acid 0.532 G 2.436 G
Total 0.532 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 Cheese or Spam .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Spam (Luncheon meat, pork, ham, and chicken, minced, canned, reduced sodium, added ascorbic acid, includes SPAM, 25% less sodium) .

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FAQ

Does cheese or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cheese and spam are high in calories. Cheese has 30% more calories than spam - cheese has 384 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.

Does cheese or spam contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has more calcium than spam - cheese has 659mg of calcium in 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

Does cheese or spam contain more potassium?
Spam is a rich source of potassium and it has 560% more potassium than cheese - cheese has 85mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.