What You Should Know About Processed Meat
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 21, 2019
- 3 min read
What Is Processed Meat?
There’s no clear definition -- it’s more of a description -- but if you smoke it, salt it, cure it, or add preservatives to it, it’s probably processed. People who eat a lot of these kinds of meats are more likely to get heart disease, diabetes, and even certain kinds of cancer, thanks to all the salt, fat, and chemical preservatives.
Bacon
Bacon is very high in fats but not all bacon are equal so you can choose brands low in salt and nitrates and choose always leaner cuts.
Cold Cuts
Hunks of beef, ham, and turkey are preserved with various amounts of salt, seasonings, sugar, and sometimes chemicals. they are usually sliced to be used in sandwishes and salads. Check the label as some cold cuts may be not bad as others.
Hot Dogs
These processed meat are loaded with with salt, saturated fat, and nitrates.
Fast Food Chicken Nuggets
They are processed. There’s chicken meat in them, along with bones, blood vessels, nerves, connective tissue, fat, and skin. It is better to buy your chicken and bake them at home in order to prevent consumption of unwanted stuff.
Beef Jerky
They are dried and salted meat that you can put them into your pocket while travelling. The quality matters here as cheaper mass produced beef jerky can contains alot of sugar, salt anf fat while high quality are still processed but you can do it in moderation and just dont overdo.
Pepperoni
They are fremendted sausage and are a delicious part of pizza unfrotunately they are processed meat and are loaded with salt, fat, calories, sugar, and preservatives. To ferment a sausage, you let the raw meat cure in its casing, which gives it that tangy flavor and chewy texture.
Breakfast Sausage
Sausage is loaded with salt and fat and sure it is not good for you even it tastes good. You need to check the label considering salt and preservatives and you could try alternatives like turkey, chicken, or even vegetarian sausage for less fatty alternatives.
Pancetta
It is a pork belly that’s been preserved with salt. It is not smoked and has few preservatives yet it is full of fat, calories and salt so make its consumption rare.
Fast Food Hamburgers
Hamburgers used at fast food restaurants often has growth hormones and antibiotics to go along with all the salt, fat, and preservatives. it is better to choose lean beef cut and make our burger at home.
Deviled Ham
Cans of deviled ham are often loaded with too much salt, preservativres like nitrates and other ingredients. You can make it in a food processor at home -- with some cooked ham, mustard, mayo, hot sauce, and onions.
Vienna Sausages
These are tiny sausages in a can. They’re made from “mechanically separated chicken” meaning the bones are taken out with a machine, and all the rest of the animal is used along with small amounts of pork or beef. It’s all ground to a fine paste and cooked in little hot dog casings, ready to eat when you pop the top.
Canned Corned Beef Hash
Fry some chopped corned beef (typically brisket that's been salted and cured) with some onions and potatoes, and you’ve got corned beef hash. Put it in a can and you have an inexpensive meat product loaded with fat, preservatives, and salt. For a healthier take, make your own version with turkey pastrami.
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