Prosciutto: Calories in Prosciutto

Information on Prosciutto

Most lovers of Italian food are very fond of prosciutto,which is one of the most popular items in the Italian cuisine. Prosciutto isactually an Italian term for ham. Prosciutto is a dry cured type of ham whichis commonly served raw and it needs to be cut into extremely thin slices.Prosciutto crudo is the term used for raw ham, while prosciutto cotto standsfor cooked ham. The ham is made from pigs or wild horses. The manufacture ofprosciutto takes somewhere between nine months and two years, depending on thesize of ham. Even though it is very delicious, prosciutto may be a cause forconcern for all those who watch their calorie intake. Prosciutto is commonlyserved as antipasto. Antipasto is a dish which needs to be served before pastaand it comes wrapped around bread sticks, and it is commonly accompanied byhoneydew and cantaloupe. Prosciutto may also be served alongside various differenttypes of cooked spring vegetables such as asparagus and peas. Another way ofserving prosciutto is as pizza topping, and also with Tuscan dishes, veal stuffing and pasta sauce. When used in sandwiches, prosciutto is commonlyaccompanied by figs, sweet melons, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Themain problem with prosciutto when it comes to discussing its nutritional factsis that it contains high amounts of salt. This means that it provides the bodywith excessive amounts of sodium, which may be very harmful. Prosciutto shouldbe avoided as much as possible by all those who suffer from thyroid diseases,heart diseases, high blood pressure levels and obesity.

Prosciutto Nutritional Value

2 slices of prosciutto weigh 30 grams and contain 45.7percent of calories from protein and 64.3 percent of calories from fat. Thosetwo slices of prosciutto contain 70 calories, traces of iron, 5 grams of totalfat (out of which there are 2 grams of saturated fat), 8 grams of protein, 20milligrams of cholesterol, 730 milligrams of sodium and no dietary fibers orcarbohydrates at all. Italian prosciuttoartisan baguette contains 636 calories, a cup of cooked chicken and prosciuttotortelloni contains 330 calories, a prosciutto mozzarella sandwich contains 770calories, half a pack of prosciutto crudo & cheese cappelletti contains 411calories, a cherry pepper stuffed with prosciutto and provolone cheese contains70 calories, 2 slices of smoked prosciutto contain 90 calories, an ounce ofprosciutto panino contains 70 calories, an ounce of prosciutto Toscano contains80 calories, 2 slices of prosciutto di San Daniele contain 74 calories and 2slices of prosciutto di Parma contain 62 calories.