Serrano ham is the most characteristic food of Spanish gastronomy . Although it has its detractors, most people fall for the taste of what many consider a delicacy, and more and more countries include Serrano ham as one of the basic products to be imported from our country. But although ham is one of those foods that almost everyone likes, many women deprive themselves of this pleasure because they consider it one of the main enemies of their diet .
Serrano ham and fat
Either because the animal from which the ham comes, that is, the pig, is closely related to excess fat and extra kilos, or because that whitish part seems to us to be a greasy sin, Serrano ham has become a forbidden food for anyone trying to lose weight . In fact, almost none of the weight loss diets that we know of allow us to eat ham.
However, that ham makes you fat is one of the many myths that circulate about certain foods. Of course, ham is fattening, anything we eat is fattening, but ham does not have as much fat as we think. One thing to keep in mind is that 100 grams of Serrano ham contain 160 calories. But it is not only that ham is not as fattening as many people believe, but also, given its high nutritional content , it becomes an ally of weight loss diets, which often fail to provide us with all the vitamins and minerals that we need. .
This quite changes the image we had of ham as a prohibited food in diets and we can also say that ham is essential in any balanced diet , especially if we want to get all the healthy benefits of the Mediterranean diet .
Is Serrano ham fattening? We debunk this and other myths
It has already become clear that Serrano ham is not as fattening as is often believed. However, this is not the only myth that circulates around this delicious product. Do you want to know what is true and what is false? Attention!
1 The ham is better preserved if we cover it with its own fat
Mistake! If we cover the leg of the ham with its own fat, we will be preventing it from oxygenating properly. And this is not the only thing. Fat is a powerful compound that permeates odor to everything it touches. What does this mean? That if we cover the ham with it we will significantly modify its flavor. Has it become clear to you that this is not a good idea? The best way to cover it is to use a lint-free kitchen towel . The main objective is that it does not give it light and has less exposure to air.
2 You should let it cool down on a plate before you start eating it.
Mistake! The best ham is freshly cut . And if it can be eaten directly from the cut, even better. By leaving it on a plate, the only thing we achieve is that it loses oil, which is precisely what gives it that delicious flavor.
3 The white spots on the ham are salt
Lie! Surely more than once you have seen those small white granules in the ham. Well, contrary to popular belief, it is not salt, but tyrosine crystals. What is this? Well, nothing more and nothing less than an amino acid that is responsible for forming proteins. It is not bad or harmful, on the contrary, it means that the ham has undergone optimal curing and maturation. Surprising, right?
4 Serrano ham produces cholesterol
A myth as big as a house! Serrano ham is rich in good quality fats (it contains 60% unsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic). This means that ham, instead of raising cholesterol, helps regulate it by raising good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). On top of all that, it also helps protect the heart!
5 Acorn-fed ham comes from pigs that only feed on acorns
Fake! Acorn-fed hams come from animals that spend the last stage of their lives in freedom. At that time they feed on fruits, roots, herbs and acorns. But until the moment they are transferred to the dehesa, they live on feed.
Benefits of ham
Perhaps the only objection that we can make to Serrano ham is its contribution of salt , which can present problems for people who suffer from hypertension. In these cases, it is better to follow the doctor’s recommendations. But in the rest of the cases, the only thing we find in the ham are nutritional benefits .
Ham provides our body with proteins, vitamins, especially group B, and minerals such as zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron, so its consumption is recommended in cases of anemia and osteoporosis (consumption of ham is good to protect bone loss). And all these nutrients remain in the shade when what we hear most about Serrano ham is praise for its flavor but rejection of its caloric intake.
Thus, we defend the consumption of Serrano ham without fear of gaining weight. If you are taking care of yourself with food to lose those extra kilos , I do not have to fear ham, on the contrary, you can add it to your salads and thus you will not feel that you are depriving yourself of something, which after all is what makes many diets fail .
