Shrimp vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Shrimp and Spam


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

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

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

  • Both spam and shrimp are high in protein.
  • Shrimp is a great source of calcium.
  • Spam has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, shrimp contains more pantothenic acid and folate.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of shrimp 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: Shrimp (Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)) 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 Shrimp src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Spam is high in calories and shrimp has 76% less calories than spam - spam has 293 calories per 100 grams and shrimp has 71 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, shrimp is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Shrimp has a macronutrient ratio of 71:9:20 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Shrimp Spam
Protein 71% 17%
Carbohydrates 9% 5%
Fat 20% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spam and shrimp are low in carbohydrates - spam has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.91g of carbohydrates.

Protein

protein

Both spam and shrimp are high in protein. Spam is very similar to spam for protein - spam has 12.5g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Spam is high in saturated fat and shrimp has 97% less saturated fat than spam - spam has 8.9g of saturated fat per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.26g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both shrimp and spam are low in trans fat - shrimp has 0.02g of trans fat per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Spam has 40% less cholesterol than shrimp - spam has 76mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and shrimp has 126mg of cholesterol.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

Shrimp has more Vitamin A than spam - shrimp has 54ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Spam has 10 times more Vitamin D than shrimp - spam has 23iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and shrimp has 2iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Spam and shrimp contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and shrimp has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Shrimp and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - shrimp has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Shrimp Spam
Thiamin 0.02 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.015 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 1.778 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.31 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.161 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 19 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.11 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Shrimp is a great source of calcium and it has more calcium than spam - shrimp has 54mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Spam has 205% more iron than shrimp - spam has 0.64mg of iron per 100 grams and shrimp has 0.21mg of iron.

potassium

Spam is an excellent source of potassium and it has 399% more potassium than shrimp - spam has 564mg of potassium per 100 grams and shrimp has 113mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, spam has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than shrimp per 100 grams, however, shrimp contains more dha and epa than spam per 100 grams.

Shrimp Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.006 G 0.23 G
DHA 0.07 G ~
EPA 0.068 G ~
DPA 0.006 G ~
Total 0.15 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

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

Shrimp Spam
other omega 6 0.006 G ~
linoleic acid 0.095 G 2.436 G
Total 0.101 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: Shrimp (Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)) 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 spam or shrimp contain more calories in 100 grams?
Spam is high in calories and shrimp has 80% less calories than spam - spam has 293 calories in 100g and shrimp has 71 calories.

Is spam or shrimp better for protein?
Both spam and shrimp are high in protein. Spam is very similar to spam for protein - spam has 12.5g of protein per 100 grams and shrimp has 13.6g of protein.

Does spam or shrimp contain more potassium?
Spam is a rich source of potassium and it has 400% more potassium than shrimp - spam has 564mg of potassium in 100 grams and shrimp has 113mg of potassium.

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