Food database · Meat & poultry
Protein content
A 3 oz serving of ham contains 17.8 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 36% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 17.8 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 20.9 g |
| Calories per serving | 123 kcal |
| Protein density | 58% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 36% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Meat & poultry |
| Food type | Prepared / processed |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #167871 |
A typical 3 oz serving of ham contains 17.8 grams of protein (20.9 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 36% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
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.
Among the 133 meats in the database, ham ranks 99th by protein per serving, and 194th out of all 796 foods on the site. 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 above is measured by weight at 85 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #167871 - "Pork, cured, ham, boneless, extra lean (approximately 5% fat), roasted" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Ham has 20.9 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz serving (85 g) provides 17.8 g.
Yes. Ham 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.
A 3 oz serving of ham contains 17.8 g of protein, about 36% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Ham is a very good source of protein, and about 58% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. 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).
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