Quick answer: an 8 fl oz serving of Clamato is about 60 calories, 12 to 14 g of carbohydrate, 11 to 12 g of sugar and 1 g of protein. The number that matters is the one people overlook: roughly 790 to 820 mg of sodium per serving, about a third of the recommended daily maximum in a single glass. Clamato also contains clam broth, so it is not vegetarian or vegan, and it is not safe for anyone with a shellfish allergy.
Read This First If You Have a Shellfish Allergy
Clamato is a tomato juice product, so it is easy to assume it is a vegetable drink. It is not. The name is a contraction of clam and tomato, and the product contains dried clam broth.
- If you have a shellfish allergy, avoid it. This matters most in bars and restaurants, where a Bloody Mary made with Clamato instead of plain tomato juice, or a Michelada, may not be described as containing shellfish. Ask which juice is used.
- It is not vegetarian or vegan, and it is not suitable for anyone avoiding shellfish for religious or dietary reasons.
- Check the label rather than the flavour name, since formulations vary by country and change over time.
Clamato Nutrition Facts by Flavour
Per 8 fl oz (240 ml) serving, based on published label information. Formulations differ between the US, Canada and Mexico and change periodically, so check the manufacturer’s current label for the product in your region.
| Flavour | Calories | Carbs | Sugar | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 60 | 12 g | 11 g | 800 mg |
| Picante | 60 | 13 g | 11 g | 790 mg |
| Limón | 60 | 13 g | 11 g | 820 mg |
| Michelada Especial | 60 | 13 g | 11 g | 790 mg |
| Sweet & Spicy | 60 | 14 g | 12 g | 790 mg |
The practical summary: the flavours are nutritionally near-identical. Choosing between them on calories or carbs is pointless, since the spread is 60 calories across the board and 2 g of carbohydrate between the lowest and highest. Pick on taste.
Putting the Sodium in Context
This is where Clamato genuinely differs from an ordinary soft drink, and it is worth seeing next to other things.
| Item | Approximate sodium |
|---|---|
| Clamato, 8 fl oz | ~800 mg |
| Regular tomato juice, 8 fl oz | ~600 to 650 mg |
| Low-sodium tomato juice, 8 fl oz | ~140 mg |
| Fresh tomatoes, blended, 8 fl oz | ~10 mg |
| A packet of salted crisps | ~150 to 200 mg |
| General daily maximum | 2,300 mg |
| Lower target often advised with high blood pressure | 1,500 mg |
One 8 oz glass is around 35 percent of the general daily limit, or over half the lower target. Two things make that worse in practice:
- Real servings are usually larger than 8 oz. A Caesar or Michelada in a bar is commonly 12 to 16 oz of mixer, which puts you at 1,200 to 1,600 mg from the juice alone.
- The garnish adds more. A salted rim, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, olives and pickled vegetables are all sodium on top.
For context on why this matters, see our guide to heart-healthy eating, which covers sodium targets in detail.
Is Clamato Good For You?
A fair answer rather than a verdict.
In its favour: it is low in calories and contains no fat, it supplies some vitamin A and vitamin C, and it is a considerably lighter mixer than a cream-based or sugary alternative. As an occasional drink it is unremarkable.
Against it: the sodium load is high for a beverage, most of the 11 g of sugar is added rather than naturally occurring, and it contains essentially no fibre because it is made from concentrate rather than whole tomatoes. It is a seasoned drink mix, not a vegetable serving, and treating it as one is the main mistake people make with it.
The sensible position: fine occasionally, poor as a daily habit. If you like it for the savoury tomato character, low-sodium tomato juice with lemon, hot sauce and black pepper gets you most of the way for a fraction of the salt.
Who Should Be Careful With It
- Anyone with a shellfish allergy. Avoid entirely, and ask what is in a Bloody Mary or Michelada before ordering.
- High blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease, where sodium is usually restricted and one glass can take a large share of the daily allowance.
- Anyone on a fluid or sodium restriction set by a clinician.
- People managing blood glucose, since the sugar is added and comes without fibre to slow it.
- Anyone sensitive to MSG, which is used in some formulations. Reactions are uncommon and generally mild, but if you avoid it, check the label.
- Pregnancy, where the juice itself is fine but the cocktails it is usually mixed into are not.
What Clamato Is and Where It Is Used
Clamato was introduced in the United States in 1966 and is made from reconstituted tomato concentrate, sugar, salt, dried clam broth and seasonings including celery and spices.
It is best known as a cocktail base:
- The Caesar, Canada’s national cocktail — vodka, Clamato, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a celery-salt rim and a celery stick. It is what distinguishes a Caesar from a Bloody Mary, which uses plain tomato juice.
- The Michelada, a Mexican beer cocktail with lime, hot sauce and a salted rim.
- As a savoury mixer or marinade base, and drunk on its own chilled with lime.
Worth remembering that once alcohol is added, the drink is no longer a 60-calorie proposition. A standard measure of vodka adds roughly 95 to 100 calories, and a beer in a Michelada adds 130 to 200.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 60 calories per 8 fl oz serving, and that figure is the same across all five flavours. Carbohydrate ranges from 12 to 14 g and sugar from 11 to 12 g, with around 1 g of protein and no fat. Adding alcohol changes the picture considerably: a standard vodka measure adds roughly 95 to 100 calories and a beer in a Michelada adds 130 to 200.
Yes. The name is a contraction of clam and tomato, and the product contains dried clam broth. This means it is not vegetarian or vegan, and it is not safe for anyone with a shellfish allergy. This matters particularly when ordering out, since a Bloody Mary made with Clamato or a Michelada may not be described as containing shellfish.
Roughly 790 to 820 mg per 8 fl oz, depending on flavour, which is around 35 percent of the general 2,300 mg daily maximum in a single glass. Real servings are often larger than 8 oz, and a salted rim, Worcestershire sauce and pickled garnishes add more on top. It is noticeably higher than regular tomato juice at around 600 to 650 mg.
Fine occasionally, poor as a daily habit. It is low in calories and fat and supplies some vitamin A and C, but the sodium is high for a drink, most of the sugar is added, and it contains essentially no fibre since it is made from concentrate. Treat it as a seasoned drink mix rather than a vegetable serving. Low-sodium tomato juice with lemon, hot sauce and pepper gives a similar character with far less salt.
Not really. At 12 to 14 g of carbohydrate per serving, with almost no fibre to subtract, an 8 oz glass uses a substantial share of a typical daily keto carbohydrate allowance. Some people fit a smaller measure in, but as a mixer in a full-sized drink it does not suit a ketogenic approach well.
Clamato is tomato concentrate with added sugar, salt, dried clam broth and seasonings, giving it a savoury, spiced character. Plain tomato juice is just tomatoes, usually with added salt. Clamato is higher in sodium and sugar, and unlike tomato juice it contains shellfish. This is also what separates a Caesar, made with Clamato, from a Bloody Mary, made with tomato juice.
There is no meaningful difference. All five flavours are 60 calories, and the spread is 2 g of carbohydrate and about 30 mg of sodium between the lowest and highest. Choose on taste rather than nutrition, because the numbers do not separate them.
Anyone with a shellfish allergy, and anyone avoiding shellfish for dietary or religious reasons. Also take care if you have high blood pressure, heart failure or kidney disease, or any clinician-set sodium or fluid restriction, since one glass can take a large share of the daily allowance. People managing blood glucose should note the sugar is added and comes without fibre.
Sources
- Clamato official product information, for current label values by flavour and region.
- USDA FoodData Central, for tomato juice comparison values.
- US Food and Drug Administration — Sodium in Your Diet.
- FDA — Food allergies and major allergens, on shellfish labelling.
- World Health Organization — Salt reduction.
Last updated: August 2026. Nutrition figures are based on published label information, are approximate, and vary by region and formulation — always check the label on the product you are buying. This article is general information rather than dietary advice, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the manufacturer. If you are managing blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes or a food allergy, follow your doctor’s or dietitian’s guidance.
