Tuna pouch vs chicken pouch
Same brand, same 2.6 oz pouch. Fish or chicken?
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Ready-to-eat pouches are an easy way to add protein without cooking. StarKist makes tuna and chicken versions in the same pouch size, so we compared all three we track on grams of protein per 100 calories.
Verdict: Tuna wins: both StarKist tuna pouches beat the chicken pouch on protein per calorie (24.3 and 21.3 vs 16.3), with 4 g more protein each in the same size pouch.
Side by side
| Per serving | StarKist Light Tuna pouch | StarKist Albacore Tuna pouch | StarKist Chicken pouch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 1 pouch (74 g) | 1 pouch (74 g) | 1 pouch (74 g) |
| Protein | 17 g | 17 g | 13 g |
| Calories | 70 | 80 | 80 |
| Protein / 100 cal | 24.3 | 21.3 | 16.3 |
| Calories per 10 g protein | 41 | 47 | 62 |
| Leaderboard rank | #1 of 143 | #4 of 143 | #36 of 143 |
| Price / serving | $0.90 | $2.06 | Not confirmed |
| $ / 10 g protein | $0.53 | $1.21 | — |
| Flavors tracked | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Source | label | 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
Albacore vs chicken is the cleanest comparison. Both are 80 calories per pouch, but albacore has 17 g of protein and chicken 13 g. That 4 g gap is the whole difference: 23.0 g vs 17.6 g of protein per 100 g.
Chicken is still excellent. At 16.3, the chicken pouch ranks #36 of 143 and beats every protein bar we track except David Gold (18.7).
Price: we recorded light tuna at $0.90 a pouch ($0.53 per 10 g of protein) from a 24-pack, the cheapest protein per gram of anything we've priced. We don't have a chicken pouch price yet.
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). We haven't confirmed a price for StarKist Chicken 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
All three are listed as 1 pouch (74 g). 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.