Ham lunch meat calories come to 28 for one 28 g slice and 101 per 100 g. That makes it one of the leanest sandwich fillings you can buy, with about 66% of its calories from protein. The number to watch is sodium. One slice carries 249 mg, and a stack adds up fast.
28kcal
1 slice · 28 g, prepackaged or deli
66%protein
4.7 gProtein
0 gCarbs
1 gFat
How to burn off 28 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Prepackaged or deli · per 28 g
Calories
28 kcal
Protein
4.7 g
Carbohydrate
0.1 g
Fat
1 g
Saturated fat
0.3 g
Cholesterol
11 mg
Sodium
249 mg
Potassium
119 mg
Iron
0.2 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Ham lunch meat: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 slice (28 g)
28
4.7 g
0.1 g
1 g
249 mg
1%
Sandwich portion (56 g)
57
9.4 g
0.2 g
2.1 g
498 mg
3%
1 cup pieces (140 g)
141
23.4 g
0.4 g
5.2 g
1,246 mg
7%
100 g
101
16.7 g
0.3 g
3.7 g
890 mg
5%
3 × 1 slice (28 g)
85
14 g
748 mg
5 × 1 slice (28 g)
141
23.4 g
1,246 mg
Two slices make a 57-calorie sandwich
A single 28 g slice of prepackaged or deli ham carries 28 calories, about 1% of a 2000-calorie reference day. Hardly anyone stops at one slice, though. Two slices, the usual 56 g sandwich portion, come to 57 calories and 9.4 g of protein. Three slices weigh 84 g and land at 85 calories with 14 g of protein.
The total climbs slowly because the meat is lean. Five slices, or 140 g, which is roughly a cup of chopped pieces, reach 141 calories and 23.4 g of protein. That is still only 7% of daily calories, while the protein covers 47% of the 50 g daily value. Very few foods give you that much protein for so few calories.
So calories rarely decide whether ham fits a meal. The slice count matters far more on the sodium line, which grows much faster in percentage terms. Weigh your usual deli fold once and you will know what a typical sandwich really holds.
Two thirds of every calorie is protein
Per 100 g, ham lunch meat has 16.7 g of protein, 3.7 g of fat and 0.3 g of carbohydrate. By calories, that works out to 66% protein, 33% fat and 1% carbs. Few packaged foods tilt this hard toward protein.
Fat stays modest, with 3.7 g per 100 g, of which 1.1 g is saturated. A single slice holds just 1 g of fat. Carbs barely register: 0.1 g per slice, 0 g of sugar and 0 g of fiber. If you count carbs, plain ham costs you almost nothing. Glazed versions are different. Honey ham carries 7.3 g of carbs per 100 g, as the comparison table shows.
Cholesterol is 41 mg per 100 g against a 300 mg daily value, and potassium is 425 mg. Calorie for calorie, ham is close to turkey deli meat, which has 106 per 100 g. That is why the two swap places so easily in sandwich plans.
Sodium is the row to watch
Each 100 g of ham lunch meat carries 890 mg of sodium, 39% of the 2300 mg daily value. That comes from the curing, and it is the number that moves fastest as the slices pile up.
One slice brings 249 mg, or 11% of the daily value. The two-slice sandwich portion reaches 498 mg, which is 22% of the day. Three slices hit 748 mg. Five slices, the 140 g cup, deliver 1,246 mg, or 54% of the daily value from the meat alone. That is before you add bread, cheese, mustard or pickles.
Put that next to calories: the same 140 g is only 7% of daily energy. If you watch sodium, count slices instead of calories and keep the other fillings low in salt. Turkey deli meat runs a little lower at 810 mg per 100 g. Ham steak runs much higher at 1,269 mg.
Let the bread and sides bring what ham lacks
Ham is almost all protein and has no fiber, so it pairs best with foods that supply what it is missing. Whole-grain bread, a side salad, sliced tomato or a piece of fruit round out the plate without piling on more salt.
The meat itself is rarely what makes a sandwich heavy. Cheese, mayonnaise and an oversized roll often outweigh two slices of ham in calories. If a sandwich feels too big, trim the extras first. The ham is doing the protein work for only 57 calories.
Ham also works without bread. Roll it around vegetable sticks, dice it into an omelet or chop it into a chef salad. If you track meals, BodyPal can log ham lunch meat from a photo. Get the slice count right, because that is the detail that matters most.
How does ham lunch meat compare?
Here is ham lunch meat next to turkey deli meat, honey ham and ham steak, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories and carbs, plain ham lunch meat wins with 101 per 100 g, against 106 for turkey deli meat and 122 for honey ham. If sodium is your priority, turkey deli meat at 810 mg per 100 g is the better pick, and ham steak at 1,269 mg is the one to limit.
Ham lunch meat FAQs
How many calories are in a slice of ham lunch meat?
One 28 g slice has 28 calories. A 56 g sandwich portion, about two slices, has 57 calories.
Is ham lunch meat good for weight loss?
A slice is 28 calories and 4.7 g protein, so it fits a small calorie budget. The same 28 g slice carries 249 mg sodium, since 100 g has 890 mg.
Ham lunch meat vs turkey deli meat: which has fewer calories?
Ham lunch meat has 101 calories per 100 g and turkey deli meat 106, a difference of 5 calories.
How much protein is in ham lunch meat?
There is 16.7 g protein per 100 g, so a 28 g slice gives 4.7 g and a 56 g sandwich portion 9.4 g.
How many calories are in 3 slices of ham lunch meat?
Three 28 g slices, 84 g in total, have 85 calories. They also bring 14 g of protein and 748 mg of sodium, so the salt adds up faster than the calories do.
How many calories are in the ham for one sandwich?
A typical sandwich portion of 56 g, about two slices, has 57 calories. It gives you 9.4 g of protein and 498 mg of sodium, which is 22% of the daily value.
How many carbs are in ham lunch meat?
Plain ham lunch meat has 0.3 g of carbs per 100 g and 0.1 g per slice, with 0 g of sugar. Honey ham is the exception, at 7.3 g of carbs per 100 g.
How many calories does ham have per 100 g?
Ham lunch meat has 101 calories per 100 g. Honey ham and ham steak both come in at 122 per 100 g, so plain sliced deli ham is the leanest of the three.
What does the nutrition label for ham lunch meat show?
Per 100 g: 101 calories, 16.7 g protein, 3.7 g fat with 1.1 g saturated, 0.3 g carbs and 890 mg sodium. Cholesterol is 41 mg and potassium is 425 mg.
