Light tuna vs albacore: StarKist pouches compared
The #1 and #4 products on our whole leaderboard, side by side.
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Tuna pouches are the top-scoring food on The Hoard Board, beating every shake and bar. StarKist sells light and albacore versions in the same 2.6 oz pouch, so we compared them directly using StarKist's published numbers and the Amazon prices we recorded.
Verdict: Light tuna wins on both counts we track: higher protein per calorie (24.3 vs 21.3) and much cheaper per 10 g of protein at the Amazon prices we recorded ($0.53 vs $1.21).
Side by side
| Per serving | StarKist Light Tuna pouch | StarKist Albacore Tuna pouch |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 pouch (74 g) | 1 pouch (74 g) |
| Protein | 17 g | 17 g |
| Calories | 70 | 80 |
| Protein / 100 cal | 24.3 | 21.3 |
| Calories per 10 g protein | 41 | 47 |
| Leaderboard rank | #1 of 143 | #4 of 143 |
| Price / serving | $0.90 | $2.06 |
| $ / 10 g protein | $0.53 | $1.21 |
| Flavors tracked | 1 | 1 |
| Source | label | label |
Where the prices come from (one-time snapshots, per serving at that pack size, not store shelf prices): StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch): $21.55 for 24-pouch pack on Amazon (sold by Amazon.com), one-time price seen 2026-10-30; StarKist Albacore White Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch): $2.06 for a single pouch on Amazon, seen 2026-10-30 (listing showed limited stock/shipping).
What the numbers say
Same protein, same pouch. Both pouches list 17 g in 1 pouch (74 g), so protein per 100 g is identical (23.0 g). Albacore has 10 more calories, which drops it from #1 to #4 on the leaderboard. Light tuna beats everything we track; albacore trails only light tuna and two shakes (David Protein Milkshake – Vanilla and Pure Protein Complete Protein Shake – Galactic Brownie Batter).
The price gap is bigger than the calorie gap. We recorded light tuna at $0.90 a pouch and albacore at $2.06, 2.3 times as much. Caveat: the light tuna price came from a 24-pouch pack and the albacore price from a single-pouch listing that showed limited stock, so it isn't a like-for-like comparison.
Bottom line: on the numbers we track, light tuna is the default. Albacore is the pick if you prefer its taste or texture, at a small calorie cost.
Which one should you pick?
- Calories are your budget: StarKist Light Tuna pouch (24.3 g protein per 100 calories).
- Most protein in one serving: StarKist Light Tuna pouch and StarKist Albacore Tuna pouch (17 g).
- Price: at the prices we recorded, StarKist Light Tuna pouch is the cheapest per 10 g of protein ($0.53, vs $1.21 for StarKist Albacore Tuna pouch).
- Taste: check the shared 👍/👎 votes next to each product on The Hoard Board. They never change the rank, but they make a good tiebreaker.
Caveats
Numbers are for tuna in water, as packed, per StarKist's product pages. Serving sizes differ between products, so compare the protein and calories, not the package. All nutrition numbers come from the published sources linked in the table, checked between 2026-10-29. We rank by grams of protein per 100 calories only; we don't track sugar, fat, sodium, ingredients or allergens. This is general information, not dietary advice.
See every product side by side on The Hoard Board, our full leaderboard, or read how we rank.
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Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.