Clams

Clams

There are two basic varieties of clams – Hard Shell Clams and Soft Shell clams.

Soft shell clams found in the Atlantic include the ubiquitous steamer. Other East Coast hard shell clams include littleneck (<2 inches), cherrystone (a little bit larger at about 2 1/2 inches) and the quahog, also known as the large or chowder clam (3 inches or more).

The most notable west coast hard shell clams are the pismo found on Pismo beach. Small butter clams are found further north in the Puget Sound area are small and very tender clams. Soft shells found on the west coast include the razor clam and the geoduck clam (pronounced gooeyduck). Geoducks are a large six inch clam that can have a neck as long as two feet.

The Benefits

*Excellent Source of: Protein, Vitamin B12, Iron, Selenium, Manganese
*Good Source of: Vitamin C, Riboflavin, EPA/DHA Omega-3, Phosphorous
*Preferences: Low Fat, Low Saturated Fat, Low Sodium, Low Carbohydrate, Low Sugars, No Fish, No Red Meat, No Pork, No Eggs, No Gluten, No Nuts, No Seeds, No Soy, No Dairy, No Poultry, No Molds, No Tubers, No Citrus, No Nightshade, No Legumes, No Corn, No Yeast, No Peanuts, No Grains

Selecting and Storing

In the colder East Coast and Pacific Northwest waters, clams are available year round. Further south on the West Coast, the season ranges from November to April. When buying hard shell clams, tap the shell and the clam should close. If it doesn’t, it is dead. Soft shell clams should retract and move a bit when the protruding neck is touched. Fresh clams can be gritty. You can soak them in water with a bit of cornmeal to help purge any grit inside the shell. Make sure that you add a little salt to the water (clams are, after all, saltwater animals). Use about 1/3 of a cup of salt in a gallon of cool water. You don’t need much cornmeal – two tablespoons or so. The clams will feed on the cornmeal and expel the grit inside the shells.

Nutrition Information(amounts per serving)

Serving Size: 3-ounce(s) CLAM,MIXED SPECIES,RAW

OMEGA-6 / OMEGA-3 RATIO: 0.97

Calories: 62

MACRONUTRIENTS	Amount	% Daily Value*
Total Fat	0.81 g	*
Saturated Fat	0.08 g	*
Monosaturated Fat	0.07 g	*
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.24 g	*
Trans Fat	0 g	*
Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3)
ALA	3 mg	*
EPA, DHA	58 mg, 61 mg	*
Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA)	0 mg	*
Cholesterol	28.6 mg	*
Total Carbohydrate	2.2 g	*
Sugars	0 g	*
Fiber	0 g	*
Protein	10.7 g	*

MICRONUTRIENTS	Amount	% Daily Value*
VITAMINS
Vitamin A	252 IU	5%
Vitamin C	10.9mg	18%
Vitamin D	3.4 IU	1%
Vitamin E	0.26 IU	1%
Vitamin B6	0.05 mg	2%
Vitamin B12	41.5 mcg	692%
Vitamin K	0.17 mg	0%
Folate	13.4 mcg	3%
Niacin	0 mg	0%
Riboflavin	0.18 mg	11%
Thiamin	0.07 mg	5%
MINERALS
Calcium	38.6 mg	4%
Copper	0 mg	0%
Iron	11.7 mg	65%
Magnesium	7.6 mg	2%
Manganese	0.42 mg	21%
Phosphorous	142 mg	14%
Potassium	263.8 mg	8%
Selenium	20.4 mcg	29%
Sodium	47 mg	2%
Zinc	1.2 mg	8%
PHYTONUTRIENTS
Alpha-carotene	0 mcg
Beta-carotene	0 mcg
Beta-cryptoxanthin	0 mcg
Lutein + zeaxanthin	0 mcg
Lycopene	0 mcg

*Notes on Macronutrients: Because your personal nutrition needs are unique, please refer to the information on this site to learn more about your intake of macronutrients (Fats, Carbohydrates & Protein).