Tuna is one of the world’s most popular fish, thanks to its excellent nutritional profile and great versatility. You can eat it cooked, raw (with appropriate parasite-control freezing and safe handling) or canned.
Here you will find the nutritional information and calories in tuna, plus 3 great ways to enjoy it.
How many calories are in 100 grams of tuna?
Tuna is an oily fish rich in high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
The omega-3 fatty acids in food play a role in regulating inflammation. Tuna can contribute to your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 as part of a nutritional plan that supports injury prevention and sports performance; eating it does not by itself guarantee either outcome.
100 grams of raw tuna have the following macros:
- Calories: 137
- Protein: 23 g – 92 kcal – (67%)
- Fat: 5 g – 45 kcal – (33%)
- Carbohydrates: 0 g – 0 kcal – (0%)
As for micronutrients, tuna provides iodine, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A and vitamin D.
How much tuna is in a can?
The amount of tuna in a can varies depending on whether it is packed in water or oil. Example drained weights are:
- Tuna canned in oil: 52 g
- Tuna canned in water: 56 g
Are there differences between tuna in water, olive oil and sunflower oil?
Yes. Tuna packed in oil contains more calories and has a different macro split:
Nutritional information for tuna canned without oil (in water):
- Calories: 113
- Protein: 26 g – 104 kcal – (92%)
- Fat: 1 g – 9 kcal – (8%)
- Carbohydrates: 0 g – 0 kcal – (0%)
Nutritional information for tuna canned in olive oil
- Calories: 188
- Protein: 29 g – 116 kcal – (62%)
- Fat: 8 g – 72 kcal – (38%)
- Carbohydrates: 0 g – 0 kcal – (0%)
Tuna in olive oil and tuna in sunflower oil can have similar macros and calories; check the label for the specific product.
Beyond the macronutrients themselves, tuna steaks, tuna canned in water, and tuna in olive or sunflower oil are not identical: the packing liquid can have a considerable effect on tuna’s nutritional contribution.
For example, tuna canned in sunflower oil will generally provide more omega-6 fatty acids than tuna canned in olive oil. And if it is packed in extra virgin olive oil, the oil differs in processing and quality from ordinary olive oil, which generally includes refined olive oil.
Some omega-3 can pass from the tuna into the oil. So using the oil from the can to dress a salad can make sense. If you need to measure the oil in your recipe more precisely, or prefer your own extra virgin olive oil, choose tuna packed in water.
What about canned, raw and grilled tuna?
As you can see, there are small differences depending on how you eat your tuna.
For most everyday choices, we recommend choosing the form of tuna that best suits your lifestyle, while considering portion size, the product label and food safety.
With INDYA – Sports Nutritionists, it is easy: use the app to add whichever option you fancy to your nutritional plan.
- In the figures above, tuna canned in water has more protein, less fat and fewer calories per equal weight than raw tuna.
- In the figures above, tuna canned in oil has more protein, fat and calories per equal weight than raw tuna.
- When you grill tuna without oil, it has more calories, protein and fat per 100 g than raw tuna because it loses water, concentrating the macronutrients. The same principle applies in the oven or an air fryer (which, as you know, we love).
Should I include tuna in my diet?
There is no single food that everyone has to eat. What matters is getting all the nutrients you need through a practical, varied diet, and there are many ways to do that. Tuna can be a useful option if it helps make your diet enjoyable and nutritious.
How much tuna can I eat?
The original article proposes no more than 4 cans of tuna per week as a rough guide. This is not a universal safety limit: appropriate intake depends on the tuna species, can size and the person eating it.
Including other fish and food groups helps maintain variety.
This estimate does not apply to everyone: someone weighing 50 kg, measuring 160 cm and leading a sedentary life will have different nutritional needs from someone weighing 123 kg, measuring 185 cm and training hard. Mercury advice also depends on species and individual circumstances, not simply energy needs.
The key is always to adapt your nutritional plan to your needs.
Does tuna contain mercury?
The element mercury is a heavy metal that can be toxic at high exposure levels and have adverse effects on health.
Tuna can be a dietary source of mercury. Levels vary by species: large, long-lived predatory fish tend to accumulate more mercury through the food chain.
Following species-specific fish advice helps manage exposure, but the weekly-can estimate above does not guarantee zero risk for everyone. Stay informed.
Spanish guidance gives particular advice for three population groups who should pay special attention to high-mercury species, including bluefin tuna:
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding → Avoid bluefin tuna and the other high-mercury species specified in the guidance; the same advice applies when planning pregnancy.
- Children aged 0 to 10 → Avoid those high-mercury species, including bluefin tuna.
- Children aged 10 to 14 → Limit those high-mercury species to 120 grams per month in total (equivalent to 1–2 small servings), rather than treating this as a limit for every kind of tuna.
What is the best time of day to eat tuna?
There is no particular time of day when tuna is generally better or worse. But there are situations in which choosing it may make more or less sense:
- If you want a pre-workout meal, tuna may not be the ideal main ingredient immediately beforehand. It is rich in protein, and a larger meal may take longer to digest and feel uncomfortable during training.
- If something unexpected has stopped you doing the shopping, canned tuna is a great store-cupboard staple for adding quality protein to a simple meal.
- If you want to feel fuller after dinner, including a protein-rich food such as tuna can help.
As you can see, the answer depends entirely on your context and circumstances. What matters most is fitting tuna into your everyday life.
3 ideas for including tuna in your diet
If you need more ideas, try these 3 suggestions from the INDYA app and add them to your nutritional plan.
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Tuna tataki with sesame and wakame seaweed
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Teriyaki tuna with asparagus, carrot, edamame and wakame
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Tuna maki sushi
To sum up…
Do you have to include tuna in your diet?
It depends.
It depends on how your body tolerates it. On whether you like it or prefer another fish. On whether you follow a vegetarian diet (and no, despite half the bars in Spain adding tuna to their “vegetable” sandwiches, it is not a vegetable). On whether you have time to grill it or so much time on your hands that a quick canned-tuna salad never crosses your mind.
It depends on you and your circumstances.
At INDYA, we are nutritionists specialising in sports performance. We work with you to adapt every meal to what you need (and fancy) at any given time. Take a look at our plans and revolutionise your nutrition.
