Ham vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Ham and Spam


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

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

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

  • Both spam and ham are high in calories, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
  • Ham has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, spam contains more folate.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of ham 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: Ham (Ham, minced) 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 Ham src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both spam and ham are high in calories. Spam has 11% more calories than ham - spam has 293 calories per 100 grams and ham has 263 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, ham is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to spam for carbs. Ham has a macronutrient ratio of 25:3:72 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Ham Spam
Protein 25% 17%
Carbohydrates 3% 5%
Fat 72% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spam and ham are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and ham has 1.8g of carbohydrates.

Protein

protein

Both spam and ham are high in protein. Ham has 30% more protein than spam - spam has 12.5g of protein per 100 grams and ham has 16.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spam and ham are high in saturated fat. Spam has 24% more saturated fat than ham - spam has 8.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and ham has 7.2g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spam and ham contain similar amounts of cholesterol - spam has 76mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and ham has 70mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than ham - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ham does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Spam and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and ham has 26iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Spam and ham contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and ham has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.

The B Vitamins

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

Ham Spam
Thiamin 0.712 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.19 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 4.162 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.18 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.26 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 1 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 0.95 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Ham has more calcium than spam - ham has 10mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Spam and ham contain similar amounts of iron - spam has 0.64mg of iron per 100 grams and ham has 0.79mg of iron.

potassium

Both spam and ham are high in potassium. Spam has 81% more potassium than ham - spam has 564mg of potassium per 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Ham Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.31 G 0.23 G
Total 0.31 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both ham and spam contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Ham Spam
linoleic acid 2.16 G 2.436 G
Total 2.16 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.

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

Ham 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 spam or ham contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both spam and ham are high in calories. Spam has 10% more calories than ham - spam has 293 calories in 100g and ham has 263 calories.

Does spam or ham contain more potassium?
Both spam and ham are high in potassium. Spam has 80% more potassium than ham - spam has 564mg of potassium in 100 grams and ham has 311mg of potassium.

Compare Food