--- description: May the best protein win. title: Christmas Ham vs Christmas Turkey: Which Should You Eat? image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0bd337cbaca5442a/6987773dcd1bba2df86f4609/christmas-ham.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Should You Eat Turkey or Ham This Christmas? An Analysis  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 24, 2014 10:06 PM CUT  Spiral ham on platter Spiral ham on platterGetty Images  by [Dan Kedmey](/author/dan-kedmey/)  ## Dan Kedmey Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 24, 2014 10:06 PM CUT Americans consume an estimated 22 million turkeys on Christmas. They also purchase an estimated 318 million pounds of ham around the holidays. A back-of-the-envelope calculation would suggest that turkeys, weighing in at an average of 15 pounds, are neck and neck with ham in total pounds consumed. To help break the impasse, TIME has arranged a perfectly scientific throwdown between the two Christmas staples. May the best protein win. **Tradition:** Turkey was all the rage when it first hit European dinner tables in the late 1600s. The exotic bird had to be imported at great expense from the New World, so it acquired an instant luxury status among the era’s aristocrats. By the Victorian era, the bird had displaced the popularity of the goose as the ultimate Christmas table centerpiece, the Independent [reports](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/happy-christmas-turkey-its-your-last-1526939.html "undefined"). Pigs, on the other hand, were always there for every holiday and any other humdrum occasion. Turkey 1, Ham 0 **Health:** The USDA breaks down fat content for every 100 grams of whatever it is you’re serving this Christmas. The average roasted turkey, skin included, [clocks](http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/963?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=Turkey+whole "undefined") in at 7.39 grams of fat. A whole cured, boneless roasted ham [clocks](http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2794?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=Ham+whole+roast "undefined") in at 3.13 grams of fat. Turkey 1, Ham 1 **Price:** A porcine epidemic has killed off millions of piglets ahead of the holidays, sending the average price of spiral ham [spiraling](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/lswporkfeatures.pdf "undefined") up to $2.91 a pound. Meanwhile, fresh turkey [held](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pytturkey.pdf "undefined") steady at $1.28, according to USDA reports. Turkey 2, Ham 1 **Taste:** Even if you use per capita consumption figures [supplied](http://www.eatturkey.com/why-turkey/stats "undefined") by the National Turkey Federation, Americans outside of the holidays choose pork over turkey by a 3 to 1 margin. Turkey 2, Ham 2 **Versatility:** But give the National Turkey Federation credit for compiling a whopping [list](http://www.eatturkey.com/search/node/Christmas?page=11 "undefined") of more than 100 Christmas Day recipes to marinade, dress, accompany and generally gussy up the turkey. Maple-spice-brined turkey with Chardonnay sauce vs honey glazed ham? Not much of a contest. **WINNER:** Turkey, by a hair. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3646915/christmas-turkey-ham-dinner/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3646915/christmas-turkey-ham-dinner/"},"headline":"Should You Eat Turkey or Ham This Christmas? 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