The 14 Unhealthiest Store-Bought Sliced Ham Brands You Can Buy

Sliced ham is one of the most popular pork products out there — in the U.S., pork production exceeded 27 million pounds in 2022 alone, according to Statista. That's a lot of slices of meat that are being bought on the regular. From being tucked into ham sandwiches to being shredded into a salad or cubed up and thrown into fried rice, the things you can do with sliced ham are seemingly endless.

But with all that competition out there, sliced ham brands are forced to make decisions in order to make products stand out. When a food company decides that the best way to sell its wares is to make them cost less, that can mean that the product is made using ingredients or methods that are somewhat less than healthy. Some types of sliced ham, as an affordable meat product, have fallen victim to this. And so, we're here to lift the lid on the sliced ham brands that are tasty and affordable but may not be that good for you.

Sliced ham is one of those products that exist in a wide price range, costing anywhere from about $4 to upwards of $26. For those folks who wanna keep it low-cost and cheerful, Walmart has you covered. As part of its Great Value range, its cooked ham is no frills, with a substantial amount of meat in simple packaging. But it's also got a few things about it that make it slightly less nutritious. 

Walmart's Great Value ham has water added to it, which is a common tactic used by manufacturers to make products weigh more. That means you're not getting as much protein per pound as you would be with a different ham product. 

As water-added ham is often wet cured in a salt solution, this added liquid has the additional effect of raising the meat's sodium levels. Great Value ham has a pretty high level of sodium per serving, with just 2 ounces of meat delivering 25% of your daily recommended value. Given the fact that's only 60 calories of food's worth, that's a huge amount.

Hillshire Farm is a brand that's been around since the 1930s, and it offers pretty much everything you'd expect a modern meat brand to produce, from cocktail links to pepperoni slices. Its sliced ham is the jewel in its crown and can be found in a large range of stores, including Walmart's around the country. But it's probably not surprising that such a big food company has to make certain decisions to keep costs down, and with its ham, it's at the expense of its nutritional quality.

To increase the flavor of its Sliced Honey Ham and preserve the product, Hillshire Farms adds a notable amount of sodium into each piece of meat. As such, you may end up consuming more than you bargain for. In each serving, there are approximately 570 milligrams of sodium or almost 25% of the limit you should be eating in a day.

Combine that with a high-sodium sandwich spread and bread, which can be pretty salty in its own right, and you could be looking at a somewhat salty lunch. It's also worth pointing out that beyond a tiny amount of iron, there's pretty much no vitamin or mineral content in this ham product. You might be better off going for a different pack. ‌

If you're after lunch meat, Bar-S has got you covered. The Phoenix-based company, which actually started in Seattle, with the S standing for the city's name, has been producing quality meat products for decades. Its sliced ham offerings come in many varieties, from deep-flavored black forest ham to smoked and honey-glazed styles. 

Like many other commercially-produced ham brands, Bar-S fills its meat with sodium. Just one slice of the Bar-S Deli Style Smoked Ham has approximately 310 milligrams of sodium, 13% of the maximum amount you should be consuming a day. The ham also has multiple other additives and preservatives, including modified corn starch, dextrose, and sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrates and nitrites are a particularly contentious ingredient, especially in processed meat products.

And while nitrates and nitrites are naturally occurring substances often found in vegetables, things start to get a little more worrisome when they're put into ham. The fiber and carbohydrates that are present in nitrate-containing vegetables can stop the nitrates from converting into nitrosamine, a carcinogenic substance, explains WebMD. In ham and other processed meats, however, this fiber isn't present, and nor are any vitamins or minerals that may keep the food nutritious. That's why it can be beneficial to look for nitrate or nitrite-free meat.

You can generally rely on Trader Joe's to have a quality selection of products. While the popular supermarket chain can be a little pricier than others for certain goods, you tend to get what you pay for, and its food offerings generally reflect this in its taste and quality. And at first glance, Trader Joe's sliced ham appears to be a cut above the rest. Its Uncured Black Forest Ham is protein-rich, has an ingredient list of recognizable substances, and doesn't have any nitrates or nitrites added in.

But you might be surprised when you get a look at that sodium content. The amount of added salt in this ham product is pretty mindblowing, with a massive 730 milligrams of sodium in just two ounces of meat. For context, that's 33% of the maximum amount you should be consuming each day, and given that this is a food product that you might be buying and eating on a regular basis, that isn't great news for your health. If you eat consistently high levels of sodium, you're far more at risk of your blood pressure rising to unhealthy levels, and this can place strain on multiple organs throughout your body, and lead to heart and kidney conditions, says the FDA.

Family-owned food company Land O'Frost has been producing meat for hungry customers since the 1950s, and in that time, countless slices of ham have passed from its shipping centers to your sandwiches. Land O'Frost offers a wide assortment of sliced meats, with offerings that are both budget-friendly and higher-end, with its Premium Sliced Meats. And when a product has the word premium in its name, you can sort of expect it to be tastier and better quality, right?

Taking a look at Land O'Frost Premium Honey Ham's nutrition, we noticed it was far from premium. This ham product has a few elements that we're not so crazy about. Each serving has a high amount of sodium, with 570 milligrams in every four slices, almost 25% of your daily value. 

There's also, interestingly, a small amount of saturated fat in every portion. At ½ gram per serving, it's not a huge amount, but it is more than some other hams on the market. In fact, beyond the protein content, there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of nutritional value, with the only mineral listed in the ham being a tiny amount of iron.

Few brands have the same reach as Smithfield. The food giant is practically everywhere, churning out meat products not only under its own brand name but with brands Farmland, Curly's, Nathan's, and Margherita all owned by the same company. With all those different options, you would hope that the people at Smithfield didn't forget to invest in its basics, like its regular Smoked Ham slices.

Unfortunately, though, it appears that the company has made some decisions about ingredients in this product that might make you think twice about buying it. This ham, like others, has some seriously salty slices, with 56 grams of the meat providing 510 milligrams of sodium. This ham also contains carrageenan, a seaweed derivative and common food additive that helps meats retain water. 

While the FDA approves carrageenan for food use, it has been found to degrade in the stomach through animal studies, where it turns into a substance called poligeenan. Poligeenan has been proven to have an inflammatory effect, and may be carcinogenic, says Medical News Today.

Oscar Mayer is a meat producer that has been a part of public life in the United States for well over 100 years. From Virginia ham to lean smoked cuts, the brand offers something for everyone. Oscar Mayer ham is, unfortunately, not the most nutritious option out there. 

As well as a hefty dose of sodium, 10% of your daily value in each slice, to be precise, Oscar Mayer Chopped Ham has 1 gram of saturated fat per ounce of meat. For a pork product that's usually pretty lean, that's a somewhat surprising amount, and it's useful to remember that if you're consuming multiple slices, you might be chipping into your daily allowance without knowing it.

It's also clear from the ingredients list that Oscar Mayer Chopped Ham is heavily processed, with an extensive selection of preservatives and additives. And generally, that's not great news. There's a long-standing connection between processed meat and chronic illnesses. While eating it now and then is fine, if processed meats form a core part of your diet, it can raise your risk of cancer and heart disease, according to Healthline.

Farmer John is nowadays owned by meat titan Smithfield, although you might not know it upon first inspection. The meat company has been around since 1931 and, as such, has carved out its own loyal fanbase over several generations, who come back to its staple products, like its Classic Cooked Ham.

But folks who make a habit of buying this ham could want to look elsewhere next time. Despite describing itself as Extra Lean on the packaging, Farmer John Classic Cooked Ham still finds space for some saturated fats, with 3% of your daily amount in each slice — a small amount, sure, but those things can add up. 

Additionally, the salt content of this ham is frankly extraordinary. There are 345 milligrams of sodium per slice of ham, a massive 15% of your daily value, in just an ounce of meat. We'd imagine that a fair amount of that sodium comes from the dehydrated pork broth that's included in the ingredients list. Now, we don't know about you, but that doesn't sound super appetizing to us. ‌

Go to any shop that sells sliced ham, and it's pretty likely you'll see some Hormel products on the shelf. The company is, simply put, everywhere, and it has over 50 separate brands through which it sells its enormous range of foods. With so many brands, it's easy to question whether it puts enough time into making its produce nutritious and healthy — but you would hope that Hormel Natural Choice, with a name that screams wholesomeness, would be a safe bet.

Alas, folks, it's not quite so, at least with its ham. Hormel Natural Choice Sliced Honey Deli Ham has several of the hallmarks of a processed ham product, despite its rustic, homely-looking packaging and admirable lack of artificial ingredients or preservatives. 

Each slice of meat is as salty as the next, with four slices, or 56 grams of meat, containing 590 milligrams of sodium, more than 25% of the maximum you should be eating daily. 

Additionally, this sweet meat has a lot of sugar. It's perhaps no surprise given its honey flavors, but there are a fair amount of added sugars in each serving, with 3 grams per four slices of meat. 

When combined with other sweet foods, this may push you over the line for your recommended added sugar intake each day. And remember that too much added sugar can have a big impact on your blood sugar and heart health, according to Healthline.

Sliced ham is the perfect food to enjoy on the go and as a snack when you want to whet your appetite with something protein-rich. Many ham brands have cottoned on to this, producing snack-sized ham packs that are perfect for popping into your lunchbox before you go to work. 

Family company Buddig, which sports the family name, is just one brand that has realized the appeal of this, packaging its Original Ham in mini packs containing 2 ounces of meat. But how does Buddig's ham stack up nutritionally?

Not well, unfortunately. There are a few positives to be noted with Buddig's ham, with the product proclaiming that it's gluten-free, although you'd kind of expect that from meat and made with natural juices. But these feel like buzzwords once you take a look at the nutritional info. There's a super-high amount of saturated fat in each serving, with 10% of your recommended daily value in each pack. 

For a little over 50 grams of meat, that's a pretty large amount — and when you remember that eating too much saturated fat can cause your bad cholesterol levels to rise, as stated in the Mayo Clinic, you might want to go for a leaner option. If that wasn't enough, too, the sodium levels in this teeny pack are huge, setting you back 590 milligrams in just a few bites. ‌

Like a lot of supermarkets, Target has its own range of foods. The Good & Gather range's mission is to offer "quality ingredients & delicious flavor at a great price,"  as stated by Target. And as a fridge staple, it's no surprise that ham is a key member of the Good & Gather product line. But while it may taste delicious and not break the bank too much, the ingredients used leave a little to be desired.

It's not so much that the ingredients are bad, per se — it's more that the slices come in way higher quantities than you might want in some cases. Good & Gather's Uncured Honey Ham Deli Slices are rather salty, containing 510 milligrams of sodium per serving. 

It's worth pointing out that this ham is slightly less sodium-packed than many other options out there, and so comparatively may not be the worst option in the world, but it still packs a pretty big punch. To add to this, there's little by way of vitamins and minerals in this pork product, and where some sliced hams have a nominal amount of iron, the Good & Gather option doesn't have any.

With over 500 locations across the U.S., Whole Foods has well and truly cornered the market when it comes to organic, wholesome produce. And so surely its meat products, like its basic sliced ham, are made in line with this ethos, right? Upon first inspection, it certainly seems so: 365 by Whole Foods Market's Honey Maple Uncured Ham boasts an ingredients list full of organic ingredients, including some tasty-looking spices that promise a full, rich flavor.

But cast your eyes a little further down the label, friends, and you'll see some things that will make you want to try a different product. Whole Foods' ham is unbelievably salt-packed, with each serving containing just shy of a third of your recommended sodium intake. As hams go, this one sits on the saltier end of the spectrum, with equivalent amounts of meat from different brands being way lower in sodium. There's also a pretty high amount of added sugar per serving, with 3 grams in several small slices.

Curiously, there's also a fair bit of cholesterol in each portion, despite there being quite a low level of fat and no saturated or trans fats. While eating cholesterol doesn't actually lead to high cholesterol in most people, people who already have high cholesterol may want to limit the amount they eat each day, according to Heart UK.

Applegate Naturals isn't exactly shy about showing off how well it makes its food. On the packaging of its Slow Cooked Ham, it announces a range of measures taken with its product to show how wholesome it is, including the fact that it doesn't use antibiotics on its humanely-raised pigs, that nitrates and nitrites aren't added to its food, and that there's no sugar, gluten, or casein in the pork.

Now, all of these things are pretty appealing, don't get us wrong: But there are other things you should be looking out for in this ham that Applegate is slightly more shy about. The first is the amount of sodium in the ham. With 440 milligrams of sodium in each portion, it's on the lower end of the scale for sliced ham products, but it's still almost 20% of your daily value. 

And as for that claim that nitrates and nitrites aren't added? Well, that's not entirely true. The ingredients list for Applegate's ham shows that it contains cultured celery powder. Celery powder is abundant in nitrates, so while it may be coming from a natural source, it's still making its way into your food and carries all of the same health considerations, cautioned by WebMD.

You can always rely on Costco for, well, pretty much everything. And if you're looking to buy a bumper pack of ham, heading on over to your local store's meat aisle will see you presented with some pretty huge portions of meat.

But bigger might not necessarily mean better, at least when it comes to nutrition. And while most hams are quite salty, Kirkland Signature Spiral Sliced Ham really takes things to the next level. In one serving of this ham, there are 850 milligrams of sodium, the highest we've seen for a sliced ham product so far. While it should be pointed out that this is less of a ham that's designed to be popped into sandwiches, and instead is the kind that's placed in the center of a holiday table, meaning larger serving sizes, basically, that's still a lot of salt.

This ham is also on the fattier side; in each slice, you'll get 2½ grams of saturated fat. Regrettably, there's barely any iron in the ham and not much evidence of any other nutritional value beyond pure protein.