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How many calories are in 4 ounces of spiral ham?


Spiral sliced ham is a popular choice for many holiday meals and gatherings. It’s tasty, easy to serve, and seems like a healthier option than some other deli meats. But many people wonder just how many calories are actually in spiral ham. In this article, we’ll take a close look at the calorie count of 4 ounces of spiral sliced ham.

Calories in Spiral Ham

Before diving into the calorie count, let’s first look at what spiral ham is exactly. Spiral sliced ham refers to ham that has been sliced vertically around the bone in a continuous spiral pattern. This makes it easy to serve individual slices of ham quickly without having to carve slices off a whole ham.

Spiral ham is most often made from the hind leg of a pig. It’s cured, smoked, and then spiral sliced. There are a few different varieties of spiral ham including honey-baked, brown sugar, or maple-glazed. The glazes or coatings impact the final calorie counts.

In its unadulterated form, a 3-ounce serving of sliced ham contains around 123 calories. So for 4 ounces of ham, you can expect approximately 164 calories. Here is a nutritional breakdown for 4 ounces or 114 grams of sliced ham without any glaze or coating:

Nutrition Facts Amount
Calories 164
Total Fat 9 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 54 mg
Sodium 910 mg
Total Carbohydrates 1 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugar 1 g
Protein 15 g

As you can see, 4 ounces of sliced ham without any glaze provides 164 calories, 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, 910 milligrams of sodium, and 54 milligrams of cholesterol. The majority of calories come from the fat and protein components.

Impact of Glazes and Coatings

While plain sliced ham has a moderate calorie count, the glazes and coatings often used can significantly increase the calories per serving. Here’s how some common ham preparation methods impact the calories per 4 ounce serving:

  • Honey baked ham: Adds around 60 calories
  • Brown sugar glazed ham: Adds around 100 calories
  • Maple glazed ham: Adds around 90 calories
  • Rum or wine glazed ham: Adds around 60 calories
  • Pineapple glazed ham: Adds around 80 calories

As you can see, the sweet glazes in particular can really make the calorie count soar. A four ounce serving of brown sugar glazed ham would contain over 260 calories compared to just 164 calories for plain ham.

The glazes don’t just add calories, but also additional sugar. For example, a four ounce serving of brown sugar glazed ham can have over 10 grams of added sugar.

Ham Serving Sizes

Now that we know approximate calories per ounce, it’s helpful to visualize typical serving sizes of spiral ham. This puts the calorie counts into perspective:

Serving Size Calories (Plain Ham) Calories (Honey Baked)
2 ounces 107 167
3 ounces 164 224
4 ounces 219 279
6 ounces 328 388
8 ounces 438 498

A typical serving size of spiral ham is about 3-4 ounces. On a sandwich or ham platter, 6-8 ounces is common. So you can see that just a single serving can range from 164 to 438 calories depending on the specifics.

It’s also worth noting that the leanest section of a spiral ham is the outermost slice. The closer you get to the bone, the more fat there will be, so interior slices will have slightly more calories than outer slices.

Low Calorie Serving Tips

If you’re looking for ways to enjoy spiral ham while controlling your calorie intake, here are some serving suggestions:

Stick to leaner outer slices

Focus on eating the outermost slices of ham which will be lower in fat and calories than interior slices.

Limit portion sizes

Stick to sensible 3-4 ounce portions to keep calories in a reasonable range.

Skip the glazes

Enjoy plain ham or use lighter glaze options like honey mustard or fruit chutneys.

Load up on veggies

Pile sliced ham on top of salads, baked potatoes, or green beans to make it go farther.

Opt for lower sodium ham

Check nutrition labels and choose lower sodium varieties of ham to limit your overall sodium intake.

Health Impact

While ham can fit into a healthy diet in moderation, it’s important to consider its impact on your overall nutrition and health:

  • High in sodium – Processed deli meats like ham tend to be very high in sodium, with over 900 mg in a 4 ounce serving. This can negatively impact blood pressure.
  • Increased cancer risk – The World Health Organization has identified processed meats like ham as increasing the risk of certain cancers.
  • Heart health – Ham is relatively high in saturated fat and cholesterol which should be limited for optimal heart health.

Enjoying the occasional serving of ham is likely fine for most people. But regular or high intake could potentially increase your risk for certain chronic diseases. Focus on getting plenty of lean protein from sources like fish, poultry, beans, nuts and seeds as well.

The Bottom Line

So how many calories are in 4 ounces of spiral ham? Plain ham will clock in around 164 calories for a 4 ounce serving. If it’s coated in honey glaze or other sweet glazes, you can expect the calorie count to rise by 60-100 calories.

To keep your ham mealsleaner, opt for plain ham in sensible portions. And round it out with lots of non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. This allows you to enjoy the delicious flavor while keeping calories under control and limiting sodium intake.

In moderation alongside a balanced diet, spiral ham can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle. Just be mindful of portions and preparation methods. Focus on getting a variety of lean proteins in your diet and you can feel good about enjoying a spiral ham meal!