Is Holiday Ham Really Healthy for You?
As we approach Holiday celebrations one main course that is super popular for dinner is HAM. There are numerous ways to make and enjoy ham. My personal favorite is to coat it in a brown sugar marinade, and top with pineapples, and cherries. And as it cooks in the oven every so often drizzle the marinated juices back over it, to create that outer caramelized outer texture. I know, not what you expected this post to start off reading. Now that I got everyone hungry and ready to dig into some ham…
Why did ham become a tradition?
According to a Food Republic article, it became a tradition way back in pagan times, the Pre-Christian Era. The Norse god of peace and prosperity, Freyr, was said to prefer wild boar for festivities. As time developed, it slowly started to just move from wild boar to any type of pork. Now people celebrate with all different types of traditions.
Is Ham Healthy for You?
The short answer is yes. Ham is a great source of protein and has other vitamins and minerals that support your daily intake. 2 ounces of ham is about 11g of protein, ONLY 2g of fat, and a slight carb content of 1.5g. The micronutrients which are vitamins and minerals are, 26% of your daily value of sodium, 11% of your daily value of selenium, 9% zinc, 6% phosphorus, 3% iron, 3% magnesium, and 3% copper. Some people like myself, are number people, so there are the stats. Now, what does all this mean. It means for the week that you are having ham, and leftover ham, it is adding nutritional value to your food. This rich lean protein contains a great added vitamin and mineral resource to your nutrition and a great source of amino acids.
Can you enjoy ham?
So… since it is a nutritional value protein that adds benefit to our lifestyle, can we enjoy it? YES!!! When we add the fun toppings, and seasonal additives it does add more calories, particularly fats and carbs, however, can be enjoyed. Just because you add brown sugar, and fruit to a ham does not make it less enjoyable. The big thing you want to remember is what are you enjoying with it. How are you balancing your macronutrients to maintain your healthy lifestyle? On the day you enjoy with family and celebrate, do not worry about what is on your plate, just worry about portion sizes and not overeating. After the holiday celebration, when enjoying leftovers, be more cognizant of what you are enjoying the ham with. For example, don’t have a whole plate full of holiday leftovers, enjoy your ham with a vegetable, or make a rendition of a cobb salad with the leftover ham. Being more aware of the macronutrients you consume, and how to balance the portions is going to be the key to your healthy lifestyle. If you need help with learning what macronutrients are right for you, let me help you with a healthy lifestyle.
Alternatives besides ham…
Other proteins families enjoy during the holidays besides ham, can be brisket, steak, prime roast, ribs, turkey legs, and turkey, any protein really is enjoyable. Some families, like my own, will do a dinner theme and change it every year. One year we had surf and turf, the next we did a Mexican food rendition. The possibilities are endless, the key is just enjoying your holiday with people, or environments you love.