Canned Tuna vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
canned tuna
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Canned tuna has 70% less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than canned tuna.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than canned tuna.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in calories. Spirulina has 127% more calories than canned tuna - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 25% |
| Fat | 22% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Canned tuna has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Canned tuna has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in protein. Spirulina has 143% more protein than canned tuna - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Canned tuna has 70% less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spirulina has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spirulina does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than canned tuna - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has 383% more Vitamin A than canned tuna - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than canned tuna - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has more Vitamin K than canned tuna - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Canned Tuna | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 94 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 757% more calcium than canned tuna - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 28 times more iron than canned tuna - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in potassium. Spirulina has 475% more potassium than canned tuna - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than canned tuna per 100 grams, however, canned tuna contains more dha, epa and dpa than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.823 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.233 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.018 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 1.254 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.051 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.106 G | 1.254 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: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Canned Tuna g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does spirulina or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in calories. Spirulina has 130% more calories than canned tuna - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is spirulina or canned tuna better for protein?
Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in protein. Spirulina has 140% more protein than canned tuna - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does spirulina or canned tuna contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 760% more calcium than canned tuna - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or canned tuna contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 28 times more iron than canned tuna - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
Does spirulina or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both spirulina and canned tuna are high in potassium. Spirulina has 480% more potassium than canned tuna - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.