Group · Meat
Cooked ham
Cooked ham, or white ham, is a leg of pork that has been brined then cooked in water or steam. The “choix” or “supérieur” label guarantees no added polyphosphates or starch: it is the only indication that really tells two hams apart.
As for nutrition facts: 125 kcal per 100 g, with 19.5 g of protein and only 4.5 g of fat including 1.78 g of saturated fat. It provides 146 mg of phosphorus per 100 g, and contains 2.1 g of salt.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 125 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 528 kJ |
| Protein | 19,5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1,7 g |
| Fat | 4,5 g |
| Fibre | 0,1 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Phosphorus146 mg21 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
It is the leanest cold meat in the database. 4.5 g of fat for 19.5 g of protein: no other product at the counter comes close to this ratio, not even bresaola once you take salt into account.
2.1 g of salt is the real drawback. A 50 g slice provides 1.05 g of salt, a fifth of the daily guideline. This is what stops it being treated as an ordinary meat. See salt.
It counts towards the processed meat guideline. 150 g a week, all products combined, according to the Programme national nutrition santé. Its leanness does not exempt it: it is the salt and nitrites that are targeted.
Nitrite-free versions exist. You can recognise them by their grey rather than pink colour, and a shorter shelf life. The taste is very close.
Listeriosis: it does not keep for long. Three days after opening the pack, no more. Pregnant women should prefer ham bought freshly sliced the same day, or heat it.
Pregnant? Raw cured meats and cooked meats kept chilled are not recommended during pregnancy; anything cooked and served hot is allowed. See the list in our guide to cold meats and pregnancy.
