Spam Classic: 16g Fat, 790mg Sodium per 2 oz, Labelgrade C- (56/100)
C- 56 / 100 — Notable saturated fat load, effectively zero sugar, and high sodium per 100g.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Spam Classic delivers 7g of protein and 180 calories per 2 ONZ (USDA FDC 1949626). Per 100g that’s 12.5g of protein; per oz, 3.5g. The Labelgrade is C- (56 / 100): Notable saturated fat load, effectively zero sugar, and high sodium per 100g.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C+ | 69 / 100 | 12.5g per 100g — moderate; the per-serving total matters more than the per-unit density |
| Ingredient quality | C+ | 69 / 100 | 6 ingredients; flagged MSG or curing nitrites |
| Saturated fat load | D | 45 / 100 | 6g per serving (10.7g per 100g) — meaningful saturated fat load |
| Sodium load | F | 1 / 100 | 790mg per serving (400mg per oz) — high; structural for cured/preserved foods |
| Sugar load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g of sugar — perfect |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0g fiber, expected for animal-protein products |
| Overall | C- | 56 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 23% · ingredients 21% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 15% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spam Classic (this product) | 7g | 12.5g | 3.5g | 180 |
| Armour Chicken Vienna Sausage | 7g | 11.7g | 3.3g | 120 |
| Dinty Moore Beef Stew | 11g | 4.3g | 1.2g | 191 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
What Spam actually is: fat, salt, and pork
Strip away the iconic blue can and the ingredient list is honest about itself: pork with ham, salt, water, modified potato starch, sugar, sodium nitrite. That’s a cured pork product. The macros follow directly — in a 2 oz slice you get 16g of fat against 7g of protein, which means roughly two-thirds of Spam’s 180 calories come from fat. People reach for it expecting a protein, but by the numbers it behaves like bacon’s blockier cousin: a savory, fatty, salty cured meat.
This is why it lands a C- rather than something worse or better. It isn’t being punished for being “junk” — it’s a short, recognizable ingredient list with zero sugar to speak of. It’s marked down for exactly what it is: a meaningful saturated-fat load (6g, a D on that dimension) and a sodium figure that bottoms out the scale (790mg, an F). Grade the food, not the nostalgia, and Spam is a treat that’s fine occasionally and rough as a staple.
How to use it honestly
The right mental model is “flavoring meat,” not “protein source.” A few slices of Spam crisped up to season fried rice, musubi, or a breakfast scramble is a completely reasonable use — you’re getting flavor and a little protein, and the portion stays small. Where it goes sideways is treating it as the protein anchor of a meal: at 790mg of sodium per 2 oz, a half-can serving alone can push past two-thirds of the day’s sodium before anything else on the plate.
If your goal is genuinely lean protein from the canned aisle, Spam isn’t the pick — canned salmon or tuna do that job far better per calorie. Keep Spam for the times you want Spam. Eaten with that honesty, it earns its spot in the pantry as an occasional treat.
Scope
This page covers Spam Classic (48 oz/3 lbs/1.36 kg), UPC 037600001045, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 1949626. Spam sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
PORK WITH HAM, SALT, WATER, MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, SUGAR, SODIUM NITRITE.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 2 ONZ
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (2 ONZ) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 180 |
| Protein | 7g |
| Total Fat | 16g |
| Saturated Fat | 6g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 1g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 790mg |
| Cholesterol | 39.8mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.358mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Classic (48 oz/3 lbs/1.36 kg) · UPC 037600001045. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Spam Classic?
7 grams per 2 oz serving (USDA FDC 1949626) — about 12.5g per 100g. That's real, but it arrives with 16g of fat, so Spam delivers more than twice as many calories from fat as from protein. It's a pork product first and a protein source a distant second.
Is Spam actually bad for you?
It's not poison — it's pork, salt, water, a little starch and sugar, and a curing agent. But honestly, Spam is fat plus salt plus pork: 16g fat (6g saturated) and 790mg sodium in a 2 oz slice. That's a treat-food, fine occasionally, not something to lean on for daily protein. Eaten now and then it's perfectly reasonable; eaten daily the saturated fat and sodium add up fast.
Why is the sodium so high?
790mg per 2 oz — about 34% of the 2,300mg daily limit in one small serving. That's structural: Spam is a cured, shelf-stable meat, and salt is both the flavor and the preservative. High sodium is the category-wide watch-out for canned meat, and Spam sits at the heavy end of it.
What is the curing agent (sodium nitrite) for?
Sodium nitrite is the standard curing salt used across cured and processed meats — it fixes the pink color, adds the characteristic cured flavor, and inhibits botulism. It's the same ingredient that puts Spam in the processed-meat category, which is the main knock against the ingredient line.
Is Spam Classic keto-friendly?
Technically yes — 1g carb, 0g sugar, 16g fat, 7g protein per 2 oz fits a low-carb or keto macro split. Just be clear about what you're choosing: it's a fat-and-salt food that happens to be low-carb, not a lean protein. Pair it with vegetables and watch the day's total sodium.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1949626. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.