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Meat, fish, and eggs

Clams

Clams provides 14.7 g of protein for 86 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz), or 17.1 g of protein for every 100 kcal.

USDA description: Clams, raw

  • High in protein
  • Easy to digest
  • Low energy density

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Low energy density: 86 kcal/100 g+1
Protein: 17.1 g/100 kcal+2
Fiber: 0.0 g/100 kcal0
Solid food with 79.0 g of water+1

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): this food was not measured.

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Sources
13 primary
Data
USDA FDC 174214

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Nutrition facts

Calories
86 kcal per serving
86 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Protein
14.7 g per serving
14.7 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates
3.6 g per serving
3.6 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which sugars
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fiber
0 g per serving
0 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fat
1 g per serving
1 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which saturated
0.2 g per serving
0.2 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Water
79 g per serving
79 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw (FDC ID 174214), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 100 g (3.5 oz) serving provides about 86 kcal, 14.7 g of protein, and 0 g of fiber.

The typical serving (100 g (3.5 oz)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources.

What it is and how to eat it

The Dictionary of the Spanish Language defines almeja (clam) as a marine bivalve mollusk with edible, highly prized meat, and chirla as a similar but smaller bivalve; in Spain, the official list of commercial names distinguishes, among others, almeja fina (Ruditapes decussatus), almeja japonesa (Ruditapes philippinarum), almeja babosa (Venerupis corrugata) and chirla (Chamelea gallina). This page uses USDA's raw clams, a mix of species, with 86 kcal, 14.7 g of protein and 0.96 g of fat per 100 g of meat without shell. USDA estimates that one pound (454 g) of clams in the shell yields 68 g of meat, so 100 g of meat equals about 670 g (1.5 lb) in the shell.

A 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of meat provides 14.7 g of protein and 86 kcal with less than 1 g of fat. The 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy lists seafood among the proteins to prioritize and suggests avoiding fatty foods in the first few days of treatment, so in those days they usually sit better steamed or in a broth than in sauces with plenty of oil or cream. In a soup they are soft and low in volume, and the broth adds fluid, something the same advisory asks people to watch because nausea and vomiting can cause dehydration.

What the evidence says

In the EU, live clams may only be sold at retail through a dispatch center and must come from classified production areas; those from class B areas must first go through a purification or relaying center, as AESAN, Spain's food safety agency, explains. Even so, AESAN's Scientific Committee noted in 2011 that no purification treatment removes viruses completely, such as norovirus, which causes gastroenteritis, or hepatitis A virus, and Spain's Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda advises pregnant women to avoid raw clams. The FDA explains that clams are done when their shells open during cooking and advises throwing out any that do not open, and the FDA and EPA list clams among the "best choices" in their mercury advice. According to USDA they have 11.3 µg of vitamin B12 per 100 g, more than four times the EU reference value of 2.5 µg, but also 601 mg of sodium, 30% of the 2,000 mg a day that WHO recommends not exceeding.

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

What to keep in mind on a GLP-1 medication

High in protein
It has at least 10 g of protein per 100 g and 6 g per 100 kcal. Protein is the most filling nutrient per calorie and helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, which matters especially when a GLP-1 medication reduces your appetite.
Easy to digest
It is a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. This is an editorial judgment based on common patient guidance, not a measurement: everyone tolerates foods differently.
Low energy density
It has 100 kcal or less per 100 g: plenty of volume for few calories, which helps you feel full. On a GLP-1 medication, which already reduces your appetite, make sure these foods do not push protein foods off your plate.

Frequently asked questions about clams

How much protein is in a 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of clams?

100 g (3.5 oz) of clams has 14.7 g of protein. A typical 100 g (3.5 oz) serving has about 14.7 g of protein. That is 17.1 g of protein per 100 kcal, which is why it carries our “High in protein” tag.

How many calories does a 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of clams have?

100 g (3.5 oz) of clams has 86 kcal. A typical 100 g (3.5 oz) serving has about 86 kcal. That is a low energy density.

Is clams filling?

Yes, very filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 5 out of 5. Calculation: 1 (base) + 1 (low energy density: 86 kcal/100 g) + 2 (protein: 17.1 g/100 kcal) + 0 (fiber: 0.0 g/100 kcal) + 1 (solid food with 79.0 g of water) = 5. It is an estimate based on its composition, not a measurement in people.

How does clams sit with nausea from a GLP-1 medication?

Based on our tags, this is what matters about clams on a GLP-1 medication. “High in protein”: plenty of protein per calorie; protein helps preserve muscle mass when you eat less. “Easy to digest”: a soft or low-fat food that many people tolerate well when they feel nauseous or get full quickly. “Low energy density”: plenty of volume for few calories; make sure it does not push protein foods off your plate. These are general guidelines, not medical advice: everyone tolerates foods differently.

What counts as a normal serving of clams?

We use 100 g (3.5 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 86 kcal, 14.7 g of protein, and 0 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

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Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw (FDC ID 174214).accessed .
  2. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "almeja" (in Spanish).accessed .
  3. InstitutionRoyal Spanish Academy and Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (RAE-ASALE).Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language, 23rd ed., online version): "chirla" (in Spanish).accessed .
  4. RegulatorOfficial State Gazette (BOE, Spain).Resolución de 25 de febrero de 2026, de la Secretaría General de Pesca (Resolution of 25 February 2026 of the General Secretariat for Fisheries publishing the list of commercial names of fishery and aquaculture species admitted in Spain; in Spanish).accessed .
  5. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  6. RegulatorSpanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN).Moluscos bivalvos vivos (Live bivalve molluscs: hygiene requirements; in Spanish).accessed .
  7. RegulatorSpanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN).Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) in relation to the viral contamination of foodstuffs, with special emphasis on bivalve molluscs and control methods (AESAN-2011-005). Revista del Comité Científico de la AESAN No. 14 (in Spanish with English abstract).accessed .
  8. RegulatorMinistry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda (Spain).Alimentación segura durante el embarazo (Safe eating during pregnancy).accessed .
  9. RegulatorU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely.accessed .
  10. RegulatorU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Advice about Eating Fish: For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1-11 Years.accessed .
  11. RegulatorU.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Consejos sobre el consumo de pescado (Spanish translation of the FDA and EPA Advice About Eating Fish, revised October 2021; in Spanish).accessed .
  12. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Annex XIII, nutrient reference values).accessed .
  13. InstitutionWorld Health Organization.Sodium reduction.accessed .