Meat and poultry
Prosciutto on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 27 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cured, sliced, for around 250 calories. Three thin slices, about 30 g (1.1 oz), give roughly 8 g of protein for 75 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from prosciutto alone you would need about 111 g (3.9 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 prosciutto sits on a GLP-1
Cured meat is salty, intense and eaten in tiny amounts, which is an unusual match for a GLP-1: a 30 g serve is only 8 g of protein, but it is 30 g you will actually eat on a day when nothing appeals. Treat it as an appetite starter rather than as the protein.
When your appetite is small
Wrap it around something. A slice of prosciutto around a stick of cheese, a piece of melon or a spear of asparagus makes a first mouthful that gets the meal started, which is often the hard part.
Three ways to prepare it
Wrapped around cheese or melon
Salt and sweet together is one of the few combinations that still tastes of something when food has gone flat.
Crisped in the oven and crumbled
Two minutes at 180C, about 355F, and it shatters. Crumbled over soup or eggs it adds flavour without volume.
Laid over a soft cheese on toast
A small open sandwich with ricotta and prosciutto is about 15 g of protein and reads as a proper meal.
What to eat it with
Soft cheese, melon, figs, rocket. It is a flavour, so give it a real protein to sit next to, such as ricotta, mozzarella or eggs.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prosciutto | about 27 g | 250 kcal | this page |
| Ham | about 18 g | 110 kcal | See the page |
| Biltong | about 50 g | 300 kcal | See the page |
| Parmesan | about 35 g | 400 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cured, sliced, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Prosciutto is the Italian dry cured ham sold under that name in all three countries. Serrano and jamon from Spain are close equivalents. It is not the same as the cooked ham sold sliced at a deli counter.
Questions people ask
Is prosciutto a good protein for a small appetite?
In the sense that you will eat it, yes. In grams, no. A realistic serve gives about 8 g, so use it to make something else appealing rather than as the 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.