Is the fat within Jamón Ibérico unhealthy?

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Although we cannot affirm that the fat in the Spanish Jamón has beneficial properties for our health, it is true that there are two types of fat: the infiltrated fat into the meat, which is healthier, and the external fat. 

Is the fat in Jamón fattening? should it be removed? Is it high in calories? Can I eat it if I want to lose weight? These are some of the questions our customers ask us every day. At Enrique Tomás, as Jamón experts, we will solve all your doubts. You will be able to stop worrying about the fat in Jamón, you will know the truth about it and you will be able to enjoy 100% of the Iberian ham/Jamón ibérico, in the healthiest way and without regret by following our recommendations and needless to say those of your doctor’s. Health comes always first!

The fat in Jamón ibérico

In general, there is a phobia of fats because they are considered to be responsible for all our health problems and/or weight gain, but the truth is that our body needs healthy fats to function correctly and, above all, a woman’s body, which has metabolic functions where fat is necessary for everything to work correctly.

It is true that not all fats are good or healthy. In the case of Spanish Jamón, the fat we should make the most of is the infiltrated fat, the one that can be seen in between the slicesIn the premises of Enrique Tomás when someone says the word.... On the other hand, we should not overuse the outer fat.

Gastronomic ideas

With this, we can say that Jamón ibérico can complete our dishes with healthy fat and protein, since it is a protein food in itself. An essential macronutrient for our bone structure. Ham/Jamón also provides us with micronutrients such as B vitamins, minerals such as iron and zinc, all of which are necessary for our organism. If you would like to complete this information, we recommend our post on: Nutritional properties of Jamón.

If we consider our body’s need to include protein of vegetable or animal origin in all meals, it is obvious that Jamón can be a protein option of animal origin for our daily meals, for example: Jamón sandwich for breakfast or snack, green asparagus with ham, scrambled egg with potato and Jamón, salads with Jamón, etc.

The internal and external fat of the Jamón

Internal or infiltrated fat

Jamón ibérico contains two types of fat: internal and external.

When we talk about internal fat, we are referring to those small whitish streaks that can be seen inside each slice of Iberian ham, which make the flavor and texture of this type of curedWhen we talk about curing in gastronomy we are talking about... meat so exquisite.

These streaks appear thanks to the Iberian pigs‘ ability to infiltrate fat into the muscle during their time in the pasture, when the animals are free-ranging (they pasture freely in the Dehesa), feeding on acorns and other wild fruits and exercising. Thanks to this diet, the fat in Iberian acorn-fed hamThe Iberico de Bellota ham is the best ham in the the world,... acquires more than 50% oleic acid, which can help lower cholesterol.

External fat

The external fat, on the other hand, although it has a protective function and preserves the Jamón, should not be taken in excess. This is the fat that envelops the Jamón and must be removed when slicing it, leaving at most a thin edge. But why? Well, for two reasons; first, so that it does not detract from the flavor of the fat infiltrated in the Jamón, and second, too much fat can make it more difficult to eat because this outer fat it is more difficult to chew and won’t melt as easily.

So, is eating Jamón ibérico a good thing? We can say a big YES, since it provides us with the nutrients our organism needs to function properly. Of course, don’t forget either that good things, when short, are twice as good.

Jamón ibérico on a low-calorie diet

Unlike other types of ham, Iberian ham is a gourmet product and a marvel of Spanish gastronomy and despite what many believe, this type of ham, from Iberian breed pigs, is a food with a healthy fat content and high in vitamins and proteins.Although it contains streaks of fat inside each slice, this does not mean that this product provides us with an excess of fat or unhealthy fats, known as saturated fats; on the contrary, it is a product that provides us with a healthy fat, known as unsaturated fat, because it is infiltrated in the muscle.

Characteristics and types of Iberian pigs

Let’s remember that pigs are monogastric animals, which means that they only have one stomach. This means that the fatty acids that they ingest through their diet and exercise during the fattening season are incorporated directly into their tissues without almost being transformed. For this reason, the diet followed by the animal is crucial to determine the quality of the fat. This will influence the caloric content of the Jamón. Let us remember that among the qualities of Jamón ibérico we find: jamón ibérico de cebo, jamón ibérico de cebo de campoRecebo is the name given previously to the ham produced by p..., jamón iberico de bellota.

At the same time, it is important to note that the fat in Iberian ham, which is found covering the piece of ham, the more yellowish fat, and the fat on the edges of the slices, is considered a more saturated fat, not as healthy as intramuscular fat, so it is not advisable to consume it if you are following a low-calorie diet.

If you want to know more, we recommend our post: “Nutritional properties of Jamón Ibérico de Bellota” or The health benefits of Iberian ham.

Jamón Zero Cero Enrique Tomás

Are you an athlete or following a slimming or high protein diet and you don’t want to give up a product as delicious as Iberian Jamón? Well, now with Enrique Tomás you won’t have to and you can buy Jamón/ham made especially for people like you by our expert cutters  in a traditional way. This Jamón is extracted from the boneless center of the ham piece, from the part closest to the bone where there is no external fat.

After a study carried out by our experts, we saw that the qualities of the Jamón Gran Reserva and the two Iberian breed hamsHam is one of the star products of the Spanish gastronomy, a..., both the Jamón ibérico de cebo de campo and the Jamón ibérico Bellota Premium made it possible to obtain a meat with the nutritional qualities necessary to call it Jamón Zero Cero. 

So we set to work to give our customers what they need to continue to enjoy eating Jamón, without remorse or bad conscience. The truth is that this Jamón can be consumed by everyone who wants to watch one’s figure or follow both a strict low-fat and high-protein diet.

It is a Jamón with very low fat and sugar levels and very high in protein. It is a cured Jamón that has all the advantages to be able to follow a strict diet without any problem, either for health reasons or for the practice of a sport, and all this without forgetting its delicious taste!

Summary

Article Name

is the fat of Jamón Ibérico unhealthy?

Description

Iberian ham has beneficial health properties and is compatible with a balanced diet. But what about the fat? We'll tell you about it!

Author

Laura Izquierdo

Publisher Name

Enrique Tomás S.L.

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