A standard 5-ounce tuna can usually gives you about 20 to 26 grams of protein, with calories and sodium shifting by pack style.
Tuna earns its shelf space for one plain reason: it packs a lot of protein into a small can. That makes it handy for lunch, easy dinners, and quick meal prep when you want real food without much fuss.
Still, one can of tuna is not one fixed nutrition profile. Light tuna, albacore, water-packed, oil-packed, drained, and undrained cans can land in different spots for calories, fat, sodium, and even mercury exposure. If you buy tuna by habit, those small label differences can change the numbers more than most people expect.
What A Can Of Tuna Usually Contains
Most standard cans sold in stores are around 5 ounces unopened. Once drained, the edible portion often lands near 113 grams. In that drained amount, many cans deliver a lean, high-protein serving with almost no carbohydrate.
For many shoppers, the fast read looks like this:
- Protein: often 20 to 26 grams per can
- Calories: often 90 to 160 per can
- Fat: often 0.5 to 6 grams per can
- Carbohydrates: usually 0 to 1 gram per can
- Sodium: often 200 to 410 milligrams per can
That spread is wide enough to matter. A water-packed can can be a lean protein pick. An oil-packed can can still be a smart choice, but it brings more calories and fat. Sodium can also jump fast, which matters if you eat canned fish often or already get plenty of salt from bread, sauces, cheese, or deli meat.
Nutritional Info Of A Can Of Tuna By Type And Pack Style
The two biggest nutrition shifts come from the species and the liquid in the can. Light tuna is often a bit lower in calories and fat than albacore. Oil-packed tuna lands higher in calories than water-packed tuna, even after draining.
Light Tuna In Water
This is the lean can many people picture first. A drained 5-ounce can often lands around 90 to 110 calories with about 20 to 23 grams of protein. Fat usually stays low, near 0.5 to 1 gram.
It works well when you want tuna to carry the protein load without adding much else to the plate. If you mix it with mayo, dressing, or crackers, the meal total climbs fast, so the can itself is only part of the story.
Albacore Tuna In Water
Albacore is firmer, lighter in color, and often a touch richer. A drained 5-ounce can often lands around 110 to 130 calories with about 23 to 26 grams of protein. Fat is still low, though it often runs a bit above light tuna.
Many people like the texture better in sandwiches and salads. The tradeoff is that albacore tends to carry more mercury than canned light tuna, so it is not just a taste choice.
Tuna In Oil
Oil-packed tuna usually lands higher in calories and fat, even when drained. A typical can can range around 150 to 160 calories with about 20 to 23 grams of protein and about 5 to 6 grams of fat.
That does not make it a bad pick. It just changes the math. If you want a richer texture and do not mind the extra calories, oil-packed tuna can fit well. If you are chasing the leanest can on the shelf, water-packed usually wins.
USDA nutrient entries at FoodData Central are a solid starting point for generic tuna values, but the can in your pantry still deserves a label check because brand recipes and sodium levels vary.
| Tuna type | Typical nutrition per drained 5-ounce can | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Chunk light in water | 90–110 calories, 20–23 g protein, 0.5–1 g fat | Lean, mild, usually the lowest calorie pick |
| Chunk light in water, lower sodium | About 90 calories, 20 g protein, 270 mg sodium | Better fit if salt adds up fast in your meals |
| Chunk white albacore in water | 100–120 calories, 22–23 g protein, 2–2.5 g fat | Firmer texture with a bit more richness |
| Solid white albacore in water | 110–130 calories, 26 g protein, 1.5–2 g fat | Highest protein in many standard cans |
| Chunk light in oil | 150–160 calories, 20 g protein, about 5–6 g fat | More calories from the packing oil |
| Chunk white albacore in oil | About 150 calories, 23 g protein, 6 g fat | Richer mouthfeel, less lean than water-packed |
| Large can or pouch servings | Can climb to 150–170+ calories and 32–37 g protein | Serving size can change the whole label read |
Protein, Calories, And Fat: What Matters Most
If your main goal is protein, tuna is hard to beat for the calories. A single standard can can land near the protein you would get from three large eggs, though with far less fat if you buy the water-packed kind.
If your main goal is staying full, protein is doing most of the heavy lifting here. But fat changes how satisfying the meal feels. Oil-packed tuna can feel richer and may hold you longer, while water-packed tuna leaves more room to add your own fat source, like avocado or olive oil, on your own terms.
Why The Sodium Line Deserves A Look
Sodium is where one tuna can can surprise you. Some cans stay near 200 to 270 milligrams. Others climb past 350 or 400 milligrams. That gap may not feel huge until tuna becomes a habit food.
If you eat canned tuna a few times a week, the lower-sodium versions are worth a glance. The flavor difference is often small once you mix the tuna into a meal.
Micronutrients In Tuna
Tuna is not just a protein can. It also brings selenium, vitamin B12, niacin, and vitamin B6. Those nutrients are part of why tuna feels like more than a “diet food” staple. You are getting a dense protein source with a short ingredient list and useful micronutrients packed into it.
Brand labels often show strong daily value percentages for selenium and B12 in a single can. That is one reason tuna is a handy pantry protein for people who want more than empty calories from shelf-stable food.
| Nutrient | What one can often provides | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20–26 grams | High protein in a compact serving |
| Selenium | Often 45% to 110% daily value | One of tuna’s standout label lines |
| Vitamin B12 | Often 40% to 120% daily value | Useful if seafood is one of your steady B12 foods |
| Niacin | Often 25% to 80% daily value | Commonly strong across many canned types |
| Vitamin B6 | Often 8% to 10% daily value | Usually present in modest amounts |
How Mercury Changes The Best Choice
Nutrition is not the only thing on the label story. Tuna choice also ties into mercury. The FDA’s Advice About Eating Fish puts canned light tuna in a lower-mercury category than albacore, which sits in the “Good Choices” group rather than the “Best Choices” group.
That matters most for children and for people who might become pregnant, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding. In those cases, canned light tuna is often the easier regular pick. If you like albacore, portion frequency matters more.
The FDA’s commercial fish mercury data also shows that canned albacore runs above canned light tuna on average, which lines up with that guidance. You can see the agency’s numbers at Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish.
What Changes The Nutrition In Your Bowl
The can is just the base. What you stir in can double the calories with little effort. Mayo, oil, sweet relish, crackers, and bread can shift the meal far more than the tuna itself. That is not a bad thing. It just means the plain can and the finished tuna salad are two different nutrition reads.
If you want to keep the meal lean, try these pairings:
- Greek yogurt instead of a full mayo mix
- Mustard, lemon, and herbs for flavor
- Beans or chopped vegetables for bulk
- Salad greens or lettuce cups instead of crackers
If you want more calories and a fuller meal, oil-packed tuna, bread, pasta, rice, avocado, or a mayo mix can get you there without needing a huge serving size.
How To Read The Can Fast At The Store
A fast scan saves time and catches the lines that matter most. Check the serving size first. Some pouches and larger cans look like one serving but hold more. Then check calories, protein, sodium, and whether the tuna is packed in water or oil.
A solid store routine looks like this:
- Check whether the numbers are for the whole can or one serving.
- See if it is light tuna or albacore.
- Pick water-packed or oil-packed based on your meal plan.
- Scan sodium, especially if you eat tuna often.
- Look at protein per can, not just calories.
Which Can Is Best For Most People
If you want the leanest all-purpose pick, chunk light tuna in water is usually the easiest win. If you want firmer texture and a little more protein, albacore in water often lands well. If taste and richness matter more than shaving calories, tuna in oil can be the better can for your plate.
So the best nutritional info of a can of tuna is not one single number. It is the pattern: most cans are high in protein, low in carbs, and modest in calories, while sodium, fat, and mercury can swing with the type you buy. Once you know that, the label gets much easier to read.
References & Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture.“FoodData Central.”USDA nutrient database used to ground generic canned tuna nutrition ranges and nutrient patterns.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration.“Advice About Eating Fish.”Shows how canned light tuna and albacore differ in mercury guidance for regular intake.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration.“Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012).”Provides the agency’s commercial fish mercury data, including canned albacore and canned light tuna.