Meat and poultry
Ham on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 18 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), sliced, lean leg ham, for around 110 calories. Three slices, about 60 g (2.1 oz), give roughly 11 g of protein for 66 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from ham alone you would need about 167 g (5.9 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How ham sits on a GLP-1
Sliced ham is soft, cold, mild and requires no cooking, which puts it on the short list of things people can face in the two days after a dose step. The protein is moderate rather than high, so it works best next to an egg or a piece of cheese rather than on its own.
When your appetite is small
Three slices rolled around cheese is about 11 g of ham protein plus 7 g from the cheese. It takes ten seconds to make and it is cold and unsmelly, which are the two properties that matter most on a bad day.
Three ways to prepare it
Rolled around cheese or avocado
No plate, no heat, no smell. Around 18 g of protein in a format you can eat standing up.
Diced through an omelette
Ham and eggs together make a 25 g meal out of two things you already have.
Chopped into a pea and ham soup
Soup is the easiest format on a slow stomach, and ham gives it enough salt to taste like food.
What to eat it with
Cheese, eggs, mustard and something sharp like a pickle. Ham with plain bread and butter is low protein and high volume, which is the wrong way round for you now.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ham | about 18 g | 110 kcal | this page |
| Turkey breast | about 29 g | 135 kcal | See the page |
| Prosciutto | about 27 g | 250 kcal | See the page |
| Cheddar | about 25 g | 400 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, sliced, lean leg ham, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Leg ham in Australia, gammon or cooked ham in the UK, and deli ham or lunch meat in the US. Watch for very cheap shaved ham in all three, which can be as low as 12 g of protein per 100 g once water and starch are added.
Questions people ask
How much ham gives 30 g of protein?
About 165 g of lean leg ham, which is nearly six slices and a lot of salt. Ham is better used alongside eggs or cheese than as the whole protein stop.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.