Clam Nutrition Calculator — Raw, Steamed, Canned & Fried

Raw clam delivers 49.4mcg vitamin B12 per 100g (2,058% DV) — among the richest natural B12 sources of any food ^[1]. Steaming doubles this to 98.89mcg (4,121% DV), and canned clam retains 84.1mcg (3,504% DV).

For comparison: beef liver (cooked) has ~59-83mcg B12 depending on preparation, oyster 16.0mcg, sardine 8.94mcg, and salmon 3.18mcg per 100g. While raw beef liver has comparable B12 levels, steamed clam (98.89mcg) exceeds all cooked beef liver preparations. A single small clam (10g) provides 4.94mcg B12 (206% DV) — more than a day's reference in one clam.

Clam provides 13.98mg iron per 100g raw (78% DV), an extraordinary amount for any food ^[1]. Steaming concentrates this to 27.96mg (155% DV) — a level surpassed by almost nothing in the food supply. Canned clam retains 26.6mg (148% DV).

Raw clam iron is 2x oyster (6.66mg), ~2.3x beef liver (~6.2mg), 19x blue crab (0.74mg), and 37x Atlantic salmon (0.38mg). Steamed clam (27.96mg) exceeds beef liver by more than 4x. The iron in clam is predominantly heme iron (from animal tissue), which has higher absorption efficiency than plant-based non-heme iron.

Steamed clam has 148 kcal per 100g — exactly double the raw (74 kcal) — because water loss concentrates all macronutrients ^[1]. Protein jumps from 12.77g to 25.55g, and every micronutrient doubles proportionally.

Breaded and fried clam shifts the profile entirely: 202 kcal with 11.15g fat (from 0.97g) and 11.14g carbs (from 3.06g). Despite breading, fried clam still retains exceptional iron (12.39mg) and B12 (26.0mcg per 100g). Canned clam (142 kcal) has much lower sodium (179mg) than steamed (1,202mg).

Raw clam contains 601mg sodium per 100g (26% DV) — naturally higher than most seafood ^[1]. Steaming concentrates this to 1,202mg (52% DV), while surprisingly, canned clam is lower at 179mg (8% DV) due to processing that removes brine.

Fried clam has 364mg sodium per 100g. For sodium-aware journaling, canned clam (179mg) is actually the lowest-sodium option. A single serving of 9 small steamed clams (90g) contains 1,082mg sodium (47% DV) — a significant amount that should be logged carefully.

Clam provides 90mcg vitamin A (10% DV) and 13mg vitamin C (14% DV) per 100g raw — unusual among shellfish and most animal proteins ^[1]. Steaming concentrates these to 171mcg vitamin A (19% DV) and 22mg vitamin C (24% DV).

Most shellfish have trace amounts of these vitamins: blue crab has 2mcg vitamin A and 3mg vitamin C, lobster has 1mcg A and 0mg C. Clam's vitamin profile, combined with its extreme B12 and iron, makes it the most micronutrient-diverse shellfish in our database.