Every 100 kcal of ham brings 14.4 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 57th of the 133 meats in this database and 153rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 20.9 g per 100 g ranks 106th in its group.
About 58% of the calories in ham come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Weight for weight, ham has 3.8 g of protein for each gram of fat (20.9 g against 5.53 g per 100 g).
Set against fried chicken drumstick, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.9 g less protein (fried chicken drumstick has 18.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by weight at 85 g, and it covers about 36% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of ham
Protein and calories in Ham for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
20.9 g
145 kcal
3 oz (serving used here)
85 g
17.8 g
123 kcal
1 cup
140 g
29.3 g
203 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in ham
The nine essential amino acids in Ham, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
1.66 g
1.41 g
79
lysine
1.78 g
1.51 g
85
valine
0.908 g
0.77 g
43
isoleucine
0.918 g
0.78 g
44
threonine
0.931 g
0.79 g
45
phenylalanine
0.904 g
0.77 g
43
methionine
0.553 g
0.47 g
26
histidine
0.75 g
0.64 g
36
tryptophan
0.251 g
0.21 g
12
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
20.9 g. The 3 oz serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 17.8 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of ham?
14.4 g. That figure divides its 20.9 g of protein per 100 g by its 145 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in ham complete?
Yes. The protein in ham supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of ham?
About 36%. One 3 oz serving has 17.8 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #167871 (Pork, cured, ham, boneless, extra lean (approximately 5% fat), roasted), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.