Can You Eat Ham on the Optavia Diet? A Complete Guide

The Optavia diet has become one of the most popular meal delivery plans for rapid weight loss. With Optavia, you eat packaged fuelings along with one lean and green meal daily. The pre-portioned fuelings contain protein bars, shakes and snacks that make calorie and carbohydrate counting effortless. But when it comes to cooking your own lean and green meal, questions come up about what you can and can’t eat. One common question is – can you have ham on Optavia?

As someone who has tested out many diets, I was curious to find out the answer. I dug into Optavia’s guidelines and resources to get the complete rundown on ham. Keep reading to learn if you can enjoy this tasty high-protein meat while following the Optavia plan.

Understanding Optavia’s Lean and Green Meal Rules

The basics of the Optavia lean and green meal are:

• 5-7 oz cooked lean protein

• Non-starchy veggies

• Up to 2 servings healthy fats

For the protein, you choose from leanest, leaner and lean options. The leaner the protein, the more fat you can add.

After analyzing Optavia’s lean protein lists, here’s what I found:

• Ham is classified as a “lean” protein

• You get 5 oz ham with 0 added fats

This confirms that yes, you can have ham on Optavia! It falls into an approved category of lean proteins. Now let’s get more details.

How to Add Ham to Your Optavia Lean and Green Meal

While ham is permitted, there are some guidelines to follow:

• Stick to 5 oz cooked ham

• Opt for leaner ham like turkey ham

• Avoid fatty ham like cured or honey-baked

• Bake, grill or boil instead of frying

• Pair with non-starchy veggies

• Don’t add extra fat like cheese or mayo

Here are some easy ways to enjoy lean ham on your Optavia lean and green meal:

• Ham and vegetable omelet

• Ham salad stuffed tomato

• Ham & veggie skewers

• Ham with broccoli and cauliflower

• Ham roll-ups with lettuce and mustard

Sample Optavia-Friendly Ham Recipes

To help you get started, here are 3 recipe ideas that feature delicious lean ham:

1. Ham and Vegetable Egg Muffins

• Whisk 8 eggs + 2 egg whites

• Add 1/2 cup diced ham and 1 cup diced veggies

• Pour into a greased muffin tin

• Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes

2. Ham and Green Beans Skillet

• Saute 1 cup green beans in 1 tsp olive oil

• Add 5 oz diced ham and seasonings

• Cook until heated through

3. Ham Salad Lettuce Wraps

• Chop 5 oz ham + 1 stalk celery

• Mix with 2 tbsp mustard + 1 tbsp vinegar

• Scoop into lettuce leaf wraps

Optavia Ham Shopping Tips

Follow these tips for choosing the best ham options at the grocery store:

• Seek out lower-fat turkey ham

• Look for “lean” labeled ham

• Check nutrition labels and choose lowest fat

• Avoid honey glazed or sugar cured ham

• Buy solid ham slices not processed lunchmeat

• Opt for boiled, baked or smoked ham

The Verdict on Ham and Optavia