A nutrient-rich diet is essential for everyone but is your can of classic Spam giving you the vitamins and minerals that you need?As with all processed foods, great taste comes at a cost. Data shows that the Spam you love so dearly has more fat content than carbs.Spam stands for Special Processed American Meat. It is basically just pork, and it sure is tasty, but in order to make sure that the meat is fresh and edible for longer, companies often use ingredients such as sodium and sugar. The amount of fat and carbs that you get in each serving of this meat will easily exceed the amount that you should ideally consume. Spam has more calories than you may think, and its nutrient profile isn’t amazing.Although this meat contains potassium, calcium, sugar, and iron, some experts may still feel like you could do away with it and swap it for luncheon meat with less sodium. Keep reading for more Spam facts!If you enjoyed reading this article, why not also check out split peas nutrition facts and sashimi nutrition facts here at Kidadl!Maintain Sodium LevelSpam is a type of luncheon meat that is used widely all around the world. It is a processed type of meat like any other such as bacon, hot dogs, salami, and beef jerky. Bacon and Spam are both processed meat and should not be eaten every day.Processed meats often have certain components, such as sodium nitrite, which have adverse effects on the human body, and hence, the consumption of such food should be limited. A single serving or portion size of Spam has around 32% of the daily value of sodium that we should intake. It is recommended by many doctors and experts that we intake less sodium per serving so as to ensure that no heart disease makes its way into our bodies. Exaggerated sodium intake is also linked with high blood pressure, which further motivates us to reduce the number of such luncheon meats that we include in our diet. Even though such processed food is delicious and very convenient, sodium is such a nutrient that can wreak havoc in our bodies when the amount is not regulated appropriately. This fact holds true for most canned meats since sodium nitrite is such an ingredient that helps in making sure that the product has a longer shelf life. Just like you would want to watch your salt intake, the same would apply in the case of Spam.Helps In Gaining Saturated FatThe amount of saturated fat that you will get per serving of Spam is around 28%. This is highly bothersome since saturated fats can directly be linked with heart disease.Canned goods such as pork and beef often have a higher content of fat, which contains more calories. Hence, Spam is unlikely to be a good option for you if you have been wanting to lose some weight. The sodium content in Spam will retain more water weight in the body, while the fats are likely to get stored unless you have a very active lifestyle. The daily value of fat that you should be consuming is not exceeded by Spam, but the fact remains that there are some types of fats that are better than the others. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are better for you since they help your body. On the other hand, saturated fat is tough for the body to break down, and hence, accumulates in the tissues. This can cause several issues such as obesity and heart disease. Saturated fat and carbohydrates can also be linked with diabetes since they have some amounts of sugar in them. Not only will you be consuming more calories than in the case of other protein-rich food such as chicken or legumes, but will also be denying your daily diet of some essential nutrients if you choose Spam as your food of choice. However, occasional consumption of this kind of canned pork is unlikely to cause lasting effects.Provide Strength To MusclesClassic Spam contains protein, which is essential for any human. There are 6 servings in a can, and each serving is 2 oz (57 g). Additionally, one can contains 180 calories.Proteins help in maintaining muscle mass. If you see athletes eat luncheon meat and other protein-rich food, the simple reason is that they aim for more nutrients per serving. Spam, since it contains pork with ham, has protein as well.A protein-rich diet is essential for people who are on a weight loss journey, however, Spam is higher in fat than protein. Hence, for strengthening muscles it’s essential to eat protein-rich food such as pork or chicken. Data shows that the consumption of pork and chicken in dishes that people eat every day while being in a calorie deficit helps in making sure that none of the muscle mass is lost.Drawback Of Excessive EatingSpam is essentially canned luncheon meat that contains pork with ham.Classic Spam is famous all over the world for its taste and the nutrient profile that it has. Although it might be very tempting to add Spam to your diet, it must be understood that this food contains too many calories, too much sodium, and a lot of fat for daily consumption. It has a pretty good carbohydrate profile, although, the fat and sodium content does overshadow the nutrient-based goodness of this luncheon meat. Consumption of less sodium is required for anyone who is at risk of getting coronary heart ailments. The amount of calories that you will consume in a single serving of this meat is also concerning and will put you at the risk of obesity.Spam does not contain nearly as much protein as other meats and contains fewer minerals than legumes. Although it does contain iron, potassium (a serving of Spam contains 4% of the daily requirement), carbs, vitamins, and calcium, the total fat content in Spam is of around nine times as much as you would get in a serving of chicken. The point is that if you choose to make Spam a part of your daily diet, you will be consuming too much fat, sodium, and carbohydrate and too little protein, as compared to recipes that do not involve canned or processed meats. Additionally, it’s best to avoid Spam when you are sick, because of its high-fat content. Fatty foods take much longer to move through the digestive system, this can essentially make nausea worse and also trigger acid reflux.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Spam nutrition facts then why not take a look at sugarcane nutrition facts, or soya nutrition facts.
A nutrient-rich diet is essential for everyone but is your can of classic Spam giving you the vitamins and minerals that you need?
