Ham vs turkey: which has more protein?
Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Healthier
Turkey has more protein: 16.7 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) of ham vs 29.1 g in turkey (1.7× as much).
USDA FoodData Central.
| Ham | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 3.5 oz (100 g) | 16.7 g | 29.1 g |
| Per serving | 18.9 g in 4 oz (113 g) | 33 g in 4 oz (113 g) |
| Per 100 calories | 15.8 g | 18.3 g |
| To get 30 g of protein | 6.3 oz (180 g), about 1.6 × 4 oz | 3.6 oz (103 g), about 0.9 × 4 oz |
Protein per calorie
Per 100 calories, ham gives 15.8 g of protein and turkey 18.3 g. This is the number that matters when you are fitting protein into a calorie budget, and it can rank foods differently from grams per 3.5 oz (100 g).
What the numbers don't tell you
Salt decides this one. The sliced deli ham here has about 1,175 mg of sodium in 4 oz (113 g), half the 2,300 mg Daily Value. The same weight of roasted turkey has about 114 mg, with 33 g of protein against 19 g and 180 calories against 120.
Deli turkey ham is a different food, with about 580 mg of sodium in a usual two-slice sandwich portion (2 oz, 56 g).
The WHO cancer agency classes processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, with 18 percent higher colorectal cancer risk for each 1.8 oz (50 g) eaten daily. WHO defines processed meat by salting, curing or smoking and names ham, so turkey ham made that way counts too. For ham alone, pooled observational studies gave stomach cancer a relative risk of 1.44, with an interval reaching no effect. In US cohorts, more white meat in place of other meat went with 26 percent less colorectal cancer.
Both can carry Listeria. A Catalan retail survey found it in 12.5 percent of cooked ham and 20 percent of cooked turkey breast samples. If you are pregnant, 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system, CDC advises eating deli meat only reheated to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot.
For an everyday sandwich, roasted turkey is the lower salt pick. Turkey ham is not.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E The Daily Value for sodium on a food label is 2,300 mg a day. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels (updated 2024-03-05)
- Level E Extra lean deli turkey ham has 67 mg cholesterol and 1038 mg sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g), with 19.6 g protein. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 168092 Ham, turkey, sliced, extra lean, prepackaged or deli
- Level E The usual US sandwich portion of turkey ham is 56 g, about two slices, which works out to roughly 38 mg cholesterol and 580 mg sodium. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 25230800, FDC 2706217 Turkey ham, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat
- Level E The cancer agency of the World Health Organization puts processed meat in its top certainty group and red meat one step below. IARC press release 240, IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat, 26 October 2015
- Level E WHO defines processed meat by curing, salting or smoking and lists ham as an example, so a cured turkey ham falls under that definition even though it is poultry. World Health Organization, Cancer: carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat, Q&A
- Level C A meta-analysis of 42 observational studies put the pooled relative risk of gastric cancer at 1.44 for the highest ham intake, with the interval touching 1.00. PLoS One, 2013
- Level C In three pooled US cohorts, higher white meat intake went with 26 percent lower colorectal cancer risk, the opposite direction to red meat in the same analysis. International Journal of Cancer, 2018
- Level C That 26 percent is a swap and not an addition: the models held total meat constant, so more poultry meant less of something else. International Journal of Cancer, 2018
- Level C A retail survey in Catalonia found Listeria monocytogenes in 20% of cooked turkey breast samples. J Food Prot, 2008
- Level E CDC lists pregnant women, adults 65 and older and people with a weakened immune system as at higher risk of Listeria and advises them to avoid unheated deli meat and cold cuts and eat them reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot. US CDC, Preventing Listeria Infection
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Ham: the salt, and what the trials actually fed people
- Turkey: the sleep story, and the vitamins the pot takes
Rankings and guides
- Which foods are highest in protein?
- Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
- How much protein do you need per day?
- Protein: what it does and how much you need
- Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Ham: USDA FoodData Central, Ham, sliced, pre-packaged, deli meat (96%fat free, water added), FDC ID 332397 · all forms of ham
- Turkey: USDA FoodData Central, Turkey, whole, meat only, cooked, roasted, FDC ID 171481 · all forms of turkey
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ, and the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.