Every 100 kcal of clams brings 17.3 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 54th of the 121 seafood in this database and 92nd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 25.6 g per 100 g ranks 27th in its group.
About 69% of the calories in clams come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Weight for weight, clams has 13.1 g of protein for each gram of fat (25.6 g against 1.95 g per 100 g).
Set against tilapia, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (tilapia has 22.3 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by weight at 85 g, and it covers about 44% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of clams
Protein and calories in Clams for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
25.6 g
148 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
21.8 g
126 kcal
20 small
190 g
48.6 g
281 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in clams
The nine essential amino acids in Clams, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
1.8 g
1.53 g
70
lysine
1.91 g
1.62 g
75
valine
1.12 g
0.95 g
44
isoleucine
1.11 g
0.94 g
43
threonine
1.1 g
0.94 g
43
phenylalanine
0.915 g
0.78 g
36
methionine
0.576 g
0.49 g
22
histidine
0.49 g
0.42 g
19
tryptophan
0.286 g
0.24 g
11
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
Related
Other seafood by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Whelk - 17.3 g per 100 kcal, 40.5 g per 3 oz cooked
Flounder - 17.7 g per 100 kcal, 12.9 g per 3 oz cooked
25.6 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 21.8 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of clams?
17.3 g. That figure divides its 25.6 g of protein per 100 g by its 148 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in clams complete?
Yes. The protein in clams supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of clams?
About 44%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 21.8 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #171975 (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.