Turkey vs. Spam

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Turkey and Spam


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

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

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

  • Both turkey and spam are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Spam has more thiamin, however, turkey contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Spam is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of turkey 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: Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) 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 Turkey src
Image of Spam src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both turkey and spam are high in calories. Spam has 55% more calories than turkey - turkey has 189 calories per 100 grams and spam has 293 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, turkey is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to spam per calorie. Turkey has a macronutrient ratio of 63:0:37 and for spam, 17:5:78 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Turkey Spam
Protein 63% 17%
Carbohydrates ~ 5%
Fat 37% 78%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both turkey and spam are low in carbohydrates - turkey has 0.06g of total carbs per 100 grams and spam has 3.4g of carbohydrates.

Protein

protein

Both turkey and spam are high in protein. Turkey has 128% more protein than spam - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Spam is high in saturated fat and turkey has 76% less saturated fat than spam - turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spam has 8.9g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both turkey and spam are low in trans fat - turkey has 0.1g of trans fat per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Spam has 30% less cholesterol than turkey - turkey has 109mg 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 turkey - spam has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Turkey has more Vitamin A than spam - turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Turkey and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spam has 23iu of Vitamin D.

Vitamin E

Turkey and spam contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spam has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.

The B Vitamins

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

Turkey Spam
Thiamin 0.045 MG 0.264 MG
Riboflavin 0.281 MG 0.179 MG
Niacin 9.573 MG 3.175 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.948 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.616 MG 0.283 MG
Folate 9 UG 4 UG
Vitamin B12 1.02 UG 0.61 UG

Minerals

calcium

Turkey has more calcium than spam - turkey has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and spam does not contain significant amounts.

iron

Turkey has 70% more iron than spam - turkey has 1.1mg of iron per 100 grams and spam has 0.64mg of iron.

potassium

Both turkey and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 136% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg 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 turkey per 100 grams.

Turkey Spam
alpha linoleic acid 0.108 G 0.23 G
DHA 0.005 G ~
EPA 0.008 G ~
DPA 0.008 G ~
Total 0.129 G 0.23 G

omega 6s

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

Turkey Spam
other omega 6 0.01 G ~
linoleic acid 1.873 G 2.436 G
Total 1.883 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 Turkey or Spam .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) 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 turkey or spam contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both turkey and spam are high in calories. Spam has 60% more calories than turkey - turkey has 189 calories in 100g and spam has 293 calories.

Is turkey or spam better for protein?
Both turkey and spam are high in protein. Turkey has 130% more protein than spam - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and spam has 12.5g of protein.

Does turkey or spam contain more potassium?
Both turkey and spam are high in potassium. Spam has 140% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg of potassium in 100 grams and spam has 564mg of potassium.

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