Jam vs marmalade: nutrition compared
Full comparison · Calories · Carbs · Healthier
Per 3.5 oz (100 g), jam has 278 calories and 0.37 g of protein; marmalade has 246 calories and 0.3 g. Fiber: 1.1 g vs 0.7 g.
Side by side, per 3.5 oz (100 g)
| Jam | Marmalade | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 278 calories | 246 calories |
| Protein | 0.37 g (1% DV) | 0.3 g (1% DV) |
| Fat | 0.07 g (0% DV) | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.01 g (0% DV) | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 68.9 g (25% DV) | 66.3 g (24% DV) |
| Fiber | 1.1 g (4% DV) | 0.7 g (2% DV) |
| Total sugars | 48.5 g | 60 g |
| Sodium | 32 mg (1% DV) | 56 mg (2% DV) |
| Potassium | 77 mg (2% DV) | 37 mg (1% DV) |
| Calcium | 20 mg (2% DV) | 38 mg (3% DV) |
| Iron | 0.5 mg (3% DV) | 0.1 mg (1% DV) |
| Magnesium | 4 mg (1% DV) | 2 mg (0% DV) |
| Vitamin A | 0 mcg | 3 mcg (0% DV) |
| Vitamin C | 8.8 mg (10% DV) | 4.8 mg (5% DV) |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin K | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Folate | 11 mcg (3% DV) | 9 mcg (2% DV) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
Per typical serving
Servings differ: 1 tbsp (20 g) of jam and 1 tbsp (20 g) of marmalade, the serving sizes we use for each (USDA household measures; 4 oz for meat and fish).
| Jam | Marmalade | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 56 calories | 49 calories |
| Protein | 0.07 g (0% DV) | 0.06 g (0% DV) |
| Fat | 0.01 g (0% DV) | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g (0% DV) | 0 g |
| Carbohydrate | 13.8 g (5% DV) | 13.3 g (5% DV) |
| Fiber | 0.22 g (1% DV) | 0.14 g (0% DV) |
| Total sugars | 9.7 g | 12 g |
| Sodium | 6.4 mg (0% DV) | 11 mg (0% DV) |
| Potassium | 15 mg (0% DV) | 7.4 mg (0% DV) |
— not reported by USDA for this food.
What the numbers don't tell you
The difference is the fruit. Under the EU rule kept in UK law, a product sold as marmalade must use at least 7.1 oz (200 g) of citrus per 1,000 g of finished product, at least 2.6 oz (75 g) of it from the flesh. Both are about two thirds carbohydrate, most of it sugar. The USDA records list 60 g of sugars per 3.5 oz (100 g) for orange marmalade against 48.5 g for jam, so a tablespoon (20 g) carries about 12 g against about 10 g.
Seville orange, the bitter orange used for marmalade, changes how some medicines are handled, at least as juice. In healthy volunteers it raised the absorption of dextromethorphan, and the effect was only half gone after three days. With colchicine it lowered the peak level by about 24%. We found no measurement of what survives in cooked peel. Danish monitoring also found benzoic and sorbic acid preservatives in most marmalades.
The research rarely separates them. A Swedish cohort of 27,786 adults counted jam and marmalade together, and more than 10 servings a week went with lower dementia risk, an association that cannot say which spread.
Pick by taste. If you take dextromethorphan or colchicine, ask your pharmacist about Seville orange marmalade. A natural or organic label is no promise of less sugar. In Greece such jams held more.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E EU law reserves the name marmalade for citrus products: at least 7.1 oz (200 g) of citrus per 1,000 g, of which at least 75 g from the fruit segments. Council Directive 2001/113/EC, Annex I (legislation.gov.uk)
- Level B In a randomized study, Seville orange juice, the bitter orange used for marmalade, cut gut CYP3A4 enzyme levels by about 40%, though it did not change cyclosporine levels. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 1999
- Level C In a study of 11 volunteers, Seville orange juice raised the absorption of dextromethorphan as grapefruit juice does, with the effect lasting days. Life Sci, 2002
- Level C In phase I studies, Seville orange juice taken twice daily for 4 days lowered colchicine peak level by about 24% instead of raising it. Clin Ther, 2012
- Level C Danish monitoring found most marmalades contain benzoic or sorbic acid preservatives, and high-consuming 4-6-year-olds can exceed the benzoic acid ADI. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2010
- Level C Among 27,786 Swedish adults followed for a median 25 years, those eating more than 10 servings of jam or marmalade a week had a lower rate of all-cause dementia than those eating under half a serving (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.97). J Nutr, 2026
- Level C Across 4,002 packaged foods sold in Greece, jams carrying a natural or organic claim held more energy and more total sugar than matched conventional jams. Nutrients, 2022
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Jam: the sugar swap that changed nothing, and the varnish that almost did
- Marmalade: sugar set with citrus peel
Rankings and guides
- Protein: what it does and how much you need
- Fiber: what it does and how much you need
- Which foods are highest in protein?
- Jam: full nutrition facts
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Jam: USDA FoodData Central, Jams and preserves, FDC ID 169641 · full profile · all forms of jam
- Marmalade: USDA FoodData Central, Marmalade, orange, FDC ID 168819 · all forms of marmalade
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.