Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna: Nutrition & Labelgrade B+ (81/100)
B+ 81 / 100 — A two-ingredient can — albacore and sea salt. 21g of complete protein per 3 oz at 120 calories, with the natural omega-3s of a fattier tuna and no added water or oil (Wild Planet packs the fish in its own juices). The only soft spot is the 230mg of added sea salt; a no-salt-added version exists for sodium-sensitive eaters.
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Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna packs 21 g of protein into a 3 oz (85 g) serving for 120 calories — about 24.7 g of protein per 100 g, one of the highest protein densities in the canned-tuna category (USDA FDC 2663472). The whole can holds two ingredients: albacore tuna and sea salt. It earns a Labelgrade B+ (81/100). The reason the protein runs higher than the cans next to it on the shelf is mechanical, not marketing: Wild Planet cooks the fish raw in its own juices and never adds water or broth, so a 3 oz serving is 3 oz of fish — not fish plus pour-off liquid. The only thing keeping this out of A range is the 230 mg of added sea salt and the zero fiber every animal protein shares.
Why the B+
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 87 / 100 | 24.7 g per 100 g — near plain cooked poultry. The own-juices pack (no water dilution) is what lifts it above commodity tuna |
| Ingredient quality | B+ | 80 / 100 | Two ingredients, albacore and sea salt. The cap below A is the added salt, not a quality flaw — there’s no broth or pyrophosphate |
| Saturated fat | A | 94 / 100 | 1 g per serving. The 4 g total fat is mostly the natural omega-3 oil of a fattier tuna, kept in because nothing is drained off |
| Sodium | B- | 70 / 100 | 230 mg per serving — moderate, and this is the sea-salt SKU; the no-salt version cuts it under 50 mg |
| Sugar | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g sugar, 0 g carbs — as expected for plain fish |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — structural; no whole-muscle fish has fiber |
The two soft spots are honest and predictable. Fiber is a structural zero — no fillet of anything scores here, and the formula doesn’t pretend otherwise. Sodium is the only real lever: 230 mg is fine inside a normal day, but if canned fish is a daily habit it adds up, which is exactly why the No Salt Added albacore exists. Everything that’s in your control — protein density, fat quality, ingredient list — sits at A or B+.
What the “packed in its own juices” claim actually buys you
This is the line that separates Wild Planet from a $1.50 can, so it’s worth making concrete. Standard tuna is precooked, drained, then re-packed in water or vegetable broth; you buy a can that’s part fish, part liquid, and you pour the liquid away. Wild Planet skips the pre-cook and the top-up — the raw albacore is sealed and cooked once, in the can, and the only liquid is what the fish itself releases.
Two consequences land on the nutrition panel and the plate:
- More fish per gram. 21 g of protein per 3 oz here versus 11–13 g per 2 oz for the water-packed competition. Scale to the same weight and Wild Planet still leads on protein density because none of the can is added water.
- The omega-3s stay in. Albacore is a fattier tuna, and its oils are where the EPA/DHA live. When commodity tuna is drained and re-packed, some of that oil goes with the discarded liquid. Here it stays — which is why the fish is firmer and richer, and why you’re meant to spoon the juices into the bowl rather than down the drain.
Albacore vs chunk light: the trade-off worth understanding
Buying albacore over chunk light is a real decision with two sides, and it’s the question most tuna shoppers are actually asking.
On albacore’s side: a firmer, milder, meatier fillet that holds together instead of flaking apart, plus meaningfully more omega-3 than skipjack chunk light. If you want tuna that eats like food rather than a topping, this is it.
On chunk light’s side: mercury. Albacore (the larger, longer-lived Thunnus alalunga) carries roughly three times the mercury of skipjack, which is why FDA/EPA guidance files albacore under “eat less” — about one 4 oz serving a week for an average adult, and tighter still for pregnant people and young children. Chunk light sits in the “eat more often” tier. Wild Planet selects smaller, younger albacore and third-party mercury-tests its tuna, which pulls its average down, but the species difference is structural and doesn’t disappear.
The practical rule: if tuna is a near-daily protein staple, rotate in chunk light to keep mercury in check; if it’s a few-times-a-week thing and you want the better fillet and more omega-3, albacore is the upgrade.
How it stacks up in the aisle
| Product | Protein | Per 100 g | Calories | Sodium | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Planet Albacore (this) | 21 g / 3 oz | 24.7 g | 120 | 230 mg | Albacore, sea salt |
| Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore (in water) | 13 g / 2 oz | 23.2 g | 60 | 140 mg | White tuna, water, broth, salt, pyrophosphate |
| StarKist Chunk Light (in water) | 13 g / 2 oz | 23.2 g | 60 | 250 mg | Light tuna, water, broth, salt |
| Bumble Bee Chunk Light (in water) | 11 g / 2 oz | 19.6 g | 50 | 180 mg | Light tuna, water, broth, salt |
Two things the table makes plain. First, the protein-density gap is real but modest once you normalize to 100 g — Wild Planet’s 24.7 g edges the water-packed albacores at ~23 g, and clears chunk light’s ~20 g comfortably; the headline advantage is protein per can, since none of Wild Planet’s weight is added water. Second, the ingredient panel is the cleaner separator: the other premium albacore on this list (Bumble Bee Solid White) carries vegetable broth and pyrophosphate, an added firming agent Wild Planet leaves out entirely. The price you pay for that is literal — Wild Planet typically runs 2–3x per ounce. If price-per-gram is the only thing that matters and you eat tuna constantly, chunk light wins on both cost and mercury. If you want the densest, additive-free, most omega-3-rich tuna in the can and will pay for it, this is the premium pick.
Ingredients
Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) and sea salt — that’s the entire panel. No water, no vegetable broth, no pyrophosphate or other firming additives that show up in most “solid white” cans. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2663472.)
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 3 oz (85 g)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (3 oz (85 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 21g |
| Total Fat | 4g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 230mg |
| Cholesterol | 24.6mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.722mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Albacore Wild Tuna (3 oz (85 g) can) · UPC 829696000732. 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 Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna?
21 g of protein per 3 oz (85 g) serving for 120 calories (USDA FDC 2663472) — about 24.7 g per 100 g. That works out to roughly 5.7 calories per gram of protein, and a full 5 oz can holds around 35 g. It's a complete animal protein with all nine essential amino acids.
Why is the protein per can higher than supermarket tuna?
Wild Planet cooks the albacore once, raw, inside the can in its own juices — it never adds water or vegetable broth to top up the fill. Commodity tuna is pre-cooked, drained, then re-packed in liquid, so a chunk of that can is water you pour off. The result: 21 g per 3 oz here versus 11–13 g per 2 oz for water-packed cans. The juices it produces are flavor and omega-3, not filler, so cook with them instead of draining.
Albacore vs chunk light — which should I buy?
Albacore (white tuna, the species *Thunnus alalunga*) is firmer, milder, and carries more omega-3 fat than chunk light skipjack. The catch is mercury: albacore averages roughly three times the mercury of chunk light, so FDA/EPA guidance puts it in the 'eat less often' tier — about one 4 oz serving a week for adults, and pregnant people and young kids should be stricter. If tuna is a near-daily protein for you, chunk light is the safer rotation; if it's a few times a week and you want the richer fillet, albacore wins.
How is the sodium, and is there a lower-salt version?
230 mg per 3 oz serving — about 10% of the 2,300 mg daily limit. This is the sea-salt SKU. Notably, that 230 mg covers 21 g of protein, so per gram of protein it's actually leaner on salt than a 2 oz StarKist chunk light at 250 mg for 13 g. Wild Planet also makes a No Salt Added albacore (under 50 mg per serving) if you're tracking sodium tightly.
Is it keto, paleo, and Whole30 friendly?
Yes to all three. Per serving it's 0 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 21 g protein and 4 g fat, with a two-word ingredient panel — albacore and sea salt. No broth, no pyrophosphate, no additives to trip a strict elimination protocol.
Is the firmer texture and 'fishier' richness normal?
Yes — that's the once-cooked, packed-in-own-juices method showing up on the fork. The natural oils stay in the fish rather than leaching into discarded water, so it's denser, holds together as solid fillet rather than flaking to mush, and needs far less mayo to bind. If you're used to pale, watery flaked tuna, this reads as meatier and more savory.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-28, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2663472 (UPC 829696000732) and Wild Planet's published label. We re-verify top pages and update within 7 days of any reformulation.