Demystifying 3 Ounces: A Complete Visual Guide to Portioning Spiral Ham

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The Holiday season brings bright lights, catchy tunes, cheer, and a whole lot of indulgent treats and snacks. Tackling huge spreads of dip and holiday cookie platters and drinking several glasses of eggnog may feel unavoidable.

Although the holiday season is a time to treat yourself and others, you can still enjoy holiday parties without making a scene. If you’re following a specific eating plan, it’s important to stick to it.

Hold up, though — that doesn’t mean denying yourself a treat at the end of a hard year.

We broke down the nutrition facts of some of your favorite holiday foods to make things a little easier and help you picture what a serving looks like.

You’ll also see other objects in the pictures, like tealights or gift tags. Clearly, we’re not anticipating that you’ll eat those. In fact, we’d recommend against it. But it’ll help you visualize portions for a quick grab and nom.

There is a database run by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) called FoodData Central that has all the nutrition facts we need.

However, they don’t always provide the exact serving size that applies. In some cases, we’ve had to give a rough estimate.

For instance, if FoodData Central gives us information in grams but the serving size is 1 ounce, we’ve figured out the amounts and nutrients/calories based on that.

For those who are none too accustomed with metric measurements, 1 ounce is just over 28 grams. if the closest serving size is 21 grams, we’ll multiply that by the right amount to give you a correct picture of how many calories and fat you’re taking in.

It’s not like you’re going around the gathering with an ultra-sensitive pair of digital scales, anyway. You shouldn’t let portion counting get in the way of an awesome time.

Trail mix with spiced nuts

Serving size: 2 tablespoons trail mix with nuts (roughly the size of 1 heaping shot glass of cranberries)Stats: 168 calories, 14.8 grams of fat

Heart-healthy nuts provide tons of health benefits, from maintaining healthy skin and hair to bringing down cholesterol.

But dousing them in sugary syrups, molasses, or honey doesn’t exactly make them a healthy choice.

Though many varieties of spiced nuts contain different mixtures, sugars, and ingredients, you can count on around 170 calories and 14 grams of fat for just a couple tablespoons’ worth. (Expect those numbers to jump a bit if the mix you’re snacking on contains additions like chocolate or dried fruit.)

You can skip the pre-packaged kind and make your own that is better for you to bring to the next holiday party.

Serving size: 3 ounces honey-roasted, smoked ham (around the size of 1 large Christmas ornament)Stats: Roughly 104 calories and 2.02 grams fat

A lot of families think of honey-baked ham as an important part of Christmas, just like the tree, gifts, and fights.

The suggested serving size for ham is about the size of a deck of cards, which may be smaller than you’d think. However, it’s one of the lower-calorie and lower-fat foods on the holiday spread.

Just remember to keep an eye on the salty stuff. This ornament-sized serving dishes up 767 milligrams of sodium — over a third of your recommended daily salt intake.

Serving size: 2 medium-sized gingersnap cookies (equivalent to around 3 pieces of Hanukkah gelt)Stats: 58.2 calories and 1.37 grams fat

We couldn’t help but compare the traditional chocolate Hanukkah coins, also known as gelt, to gingersnap cookies to show how big they are. Because if there’s one festival that celebrates making portions last, it’s Hannukah.

A couple of cookies seem to be the least calorie- or fat-dense foods on this list at first glance, which is pretty strange.

However, depending on the recipe used and size, gingersnaps can vary quite a bit in the nutrition department. In general, though, two cookies that are about an inch across won’t really add that many calories to your daily total.

Serving size: 3 bite-size sugar cookies (around the same size together as around 1 spool of ribbon)Stats: 90.9 calories and 3.12 grams fat

There is a lot of sweet stuff around during the holidays, and no one wants to be the Grinch at the dessert table.

It’s hard to say which sugar cookies are better than the others because they come in so many shapes and sizes and with so many frostings, sprinkles, and holiday-themed treats. It’s also tough to get someone to stop at just three sugar cookies.

Still, the calorie and fat counts aren’t as imposing as you’d expect — although they do provide 9. 63 grams of sugar, which is pretty full-on and very on-brand.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, after all… just in moderation.

Half a cup of champagne, prosecco, or spumante is a serving, which is about the size of a small party popper. It has 55 calories, though the exact number can change, and 0 grams of fat.

The USDA doesn’t have a specific entry for champagne because it is in the same group as prosecco and spumante, which are also sparkling wines. This is what we had to say about spumante, but it will be different for different types and brands of sparkling wine.

But what’s a holiday party without some bubbly? Also, why worry so much about calories when you’re having fun?

Compared to a mug of eggnog or hot buttered rum, it’s a wiser choice when it comes to calories. Half a 240-milliliter cup of one particular brand of spumante, for example, only adds 55 calories to your tally. So if you partake in a boozy bevvie or two, live a little.

It takes a little more of the New Year’s favorite elixir to pour than most drinks, so be careful not to get your hands too heavy.

Baked brie and crackers

Serving size: Roughly 1 ounce of brie and 3 whole-wheat crackers, equivalent to the size of a small pine cone and 3 gift tagsStats: Around 152 calories and 9.68 grams fat

The recommended serving size for most cheeses is just 1 ounce — the size equivalent of a small pinecone (or about the size of your thumb).

Though cheese does provide some calcium and protein, it’s also pretty high in calories and fat.

Spread this rich, cheesy treat out evenly over three whole-grain crackers to limit how much you eat.

Serving size: 6 carrot and celery sticks with 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, (roughly equivalent to the size of 6 cinnamon sticks and 1 small ornament)Stats: 132–154 calories (depending on whether you lean toward carrots or celery, as carrot are slightly higher in calorie content) and around 13.5 grams fat.

Seems pretty innocuous, right? We’re big on smuggling veggies into any meal. Unfortunately, fresh veggies are usually accompanied by some not-so-healthy dips at social gatherings.

America’s favorite dressing — ranch — often complements the veggie tray with a whopping 129 calories and 13.36 grams of fat per 2-tablespoon serving.

Instead of throwing away the fresh vegetables, which are low in calories and almost fat-free, you could skip the dressing and eat the vegetables as they are.

We’ve also got options for healthier dressings right here.

Serving size: 5 jumbo shrimps with cocktail sauce (roughly equivalent to the size of 5 mini candy canes with a sauce serving the size of 2 tealights)Stats: 140.5 calories, 1.7 grams fat

There are a lot of naughty appetizers to choose from, but the shrimp cocktail platter might be one of the safer ones.

Five cocktail shrimps (sauce applied) have roughly 140.5 calories, similar to other snacks, but only 1.7 grams fat.

This snack is great for you because it has about 17 grams of fiber and less fat than other snacks. 7 grams of protein, which might help you feel fuller faster and lessen your desire to eat everything on the snack table, even the tablecloth.

3 Fun Ways To Use Spiral-Sliced Ham l Whole Foods Market

FAQ

What does a 3 oz serving of ham look like?

How many ounces is a slice of spiral ham?

What does a serving size of ham look like?

How many calories are in 3 ounces of spiral ham?

What is a spiral cut Ham?

They’re usually cut into a butt and a shank portion, with the butt yielding larger slices but the shank having denser, more flavorful meat. Some are boneless, while others retain their bones. Spiral-cut hams are made at the processing plant by slicing a bone-in city ham in one continuous spiral, leaving the meat on the bone in its original shape.

How big is a full Ham?

Full hams are available, but at an average of 15 pounds they’re too large for the typical modern family. They’re usually cut into a butt and a shank portion, with the butt yielding larger slices but the shank having denser, more flavorful meat. Some are boneless, while others retain their bones.

Can a spiral ham be made boneless?

Spiral ham can be made boneless, but butchers typically create a spiral ham cut by slicing a bone-in ham into one big spiral shape. Not only does spiral bone-in ham have a natural and preserved fresh flavor—it’s also a lot easier to cut, because of the extra work done at the butcher’s block.

Are hams boneless?

Some are boneless, while others retain their bones. Spiral-cut hams are made at the processing plant by slicing a bone-in city ham in one continuous spiral, leaving the meat on the bone in its original shape. Rather than carving the ham by hand, the cook must only cut the meat from the bone to have perfect, consistent slices.