How many carbs are in ham?
Ham has 3.1 g of total carbs per 3 oz (85 g) — about 2 g net carbs after 1.1 g of fiber. That's 3.6 g of carbs per 100 g, roughly 1% of the 275 g Daily Value.
USDA FoodData Central · sliced, regular · FDC 173864
Carbs by portion
| Portion | Total carbs | Net carbs | Fiber | Sugar | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 oz (85 g) | 3.1 g | 2 g | 1.1 g | 0.9 g | 139 |
| 100 g | 3.6 g | 2.3 g | 1.3 g | 1 g | 164 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 1 g | 0.6 g | 0.4 g | 0.3 g | 46 |
Net carbs = total carbs − fiber (the carbs that raise blood sugar, used in keto/low-carb tracking). Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 173864, SR Legacy). sliced, regular.
Ham is one of the rare meats that shows up on a carb tracker at all — and the reason is a small but genuine quirk of how it’s made. A 3 oz serving (85 g) carries about 3.1 g of carbohydrate, or 3.6 g per 100 g. That’s a low number by any measure, but it isn’t the flat zero you’d see on a plain pork chop or a chicken breast. Where that carbohydrate comes from is the whole story, and it has nothing to do with the meat itself.
Why a meat has carbs at all
Fresh pork has essentially no carbohydrate — like all plain meat, it’s protein and fat. Ham is different because it’s cured, and curing is where the carbs sneak in. The brines, rubs, and injection solutions used to cure and flavor ham almost always include sugar or dextrose, both to balance the salt and to help with color and texture. That added sugar is what registers as the ~1 g of sugar (and ~3.6 g of total carbohydrate) per 100 g on this USDA entry. In other words, ham’s carbs are a side effect of the curing recipe, not something inherent to pork — which is exactly why the number changes so much from one ham to the next.
Glaze is the variable that matters
For carb counting, the ham you choose matters far more than ham as a category. Plain sliced, Black Forest, and standard deli hams stay low, right around this 3–4 g per 100 g range. But honey-glazed, brown-sugar, maple, and spiral-cut glazed hams are a different food on the carb line: the glaze is mostly sugar, and it can multiply the carbohydrate several times over. So while regular ham fits keto and low-carb eating comfortably — about 3.1 g per 3 oz leaves plenty of room — the sweet styles are the ones that can quietly add up. The reliable move is to read the label and watch the sugar line: the less glaze, the closer the ham stays to its lean, low-carb baseline. Everything else about ham’s nutrition — the protein it’s eaten for, and the sodium that comes with curing — sits alongside this small carb footprint.
For the full macro picture of the same ham, including the protein it’s actually eaten for, see protein in ham.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many carbs are in a 3 oz serving of ham?
About 3.1 g of carbohydrate in a 3 oz serving (85 g) of regular sliced ham, which is 3.6 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 173864). That's a small amount for a savory meat — and unlike most meat, it isn't zero, because curing adds sugar.
Why does ham have any carbs at all when meat is carb-free?
Because ham is cured, not just cooked. Fresh, plain pork has essentially zero carbohydrate. Ham gets its carbs from the curing process — the brine and rubs used to cure and flavor it typically include sugar, dextrose, or similar sweeteners, and that added sugar is what shows up as the ~3.6 g per 100 g on this USDA entry.
Is ham keto or low-carb?
Yes, comfortably. At about 3.1 g of carbs per 3 oz, regular sliced ham fits keto and low-carb plans with room to spare — it's a popular zero-prep protein for both. The one caveat is the sweeter styles: honey-glazed, brown-sugar, and maple hams pile on added sugar and can carry several times the carbs, so those are the ones to check.
Does ham have sugar in it?
A little, and it's added. The USDA reference lists about 1 g of sugar per 100 g in regular ham, essentially all of it from the sugar used in curing rather than anything natural to the meat. Glazed and honey hams add far more on top, which is why their carb and sugar lines climb well above plain sliced ham.
Which ham has the most carbs?
The sweet ones. Honey-glazed, brown-sugar, maple, and spiral-cut glazed hams carry the most carbs because the glaze is mostly sugar. Plain sliced, Black Forest, and deli-style hams like this 3.6-per-100 g entry stay low. If you're counting carbs, the glaze is the variable that matters, so read the label.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-18, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 173864 (Ham, sliced, regular, approximately 11% fat; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises its data.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the macro calculator to turn this into a daily target.