Today's Tip: To Deli Meat or Not To Deli Meat?

So this morning I was having a discussion with a friend about deli meat and decided it was time to do a blog post about the subject...is it okay to eat?  What is best to choose?  Is there really a difference between the cheaper stuff and the more expensive meats?  You probably guessed that the answer is YES, there is.

True, one of the easiest lunches to make is a sandwich or a wrap.  And yes, I have a wrap, sandwich or salad with shredded deli meat just about every day.  Although I do believe the very best option is to have leftover grilled chicken, cooked turkey or lean red meat on my sandwiches, it's typically much easier to pick up sandwich meat from the deli - particularly if you are making sandwiches for a few kids as well.

You may have noticed that the shelf life for meats from the deli is shorter than the ones that are prepackaged.  Why?  Well, it's because manufacturers have to add preservatives in prepackaged lunch meats to extend their shelf life after opened. There are options for nitrate- and nitrite-free meats, low-sodium, light and salt-free as well as others for both deli sliced and prepackaged lunch meats. So the best option is to request and read the nutritional labels of fresh sliced deli meats and read the product nutritional declaration on prepackaged meats. Bottom line, meat from the deli is usually better for you than the prepackaged options.
When standing at the deli counter, contemplating the wide variety of deli meats available, carefully scrutinize the labeling and consider the ingredients used in the meat, as well as the nutrition facts. Some items to pay close attention to include:

• Fat and Saturated Fat
• Calories
• Sodium (Ideally, this should be no more than 500 mg per serving)
• Nitrates and Nitrites (cancer causing agents)
• MSG
• Antibiotics
• Added hormones (nearly all foods have naturally-occurring hormones)
• Check to see if the Heart Health symbol is located on the packaging

At the deli, ask for whole-muscle cuts of roast beef, ham, turkey or chicken.  Otherwise you are purchasing meat that is made up of many parts and what you want is the muscle meat for its health benefits.  Typically these cuts are going to be more expensive - remember, you get what you pay for. Less expensive deli meat is made from many different muscles from many animals and is held together by extracting its protein and using it to bind the muscles together. It is injected with water at the time of manufacture, and a solution of modified food starch, salt, carrageenan and other food derivatives are added to retain the excess water. As the shelf life erodes, these additives cannot retain the water and the meat becomes slick and watery.  Gross.

So in a nutshell, deli is okay if you don't just go for the cheapest option.  Some brands to look for: Honeysuckle White, Thumann's, Boar's Head, Applegate Farms, Koch's All Natural Turkey, Hormel's 100% Natural to name a few.  Look for that heart healthy symbol and ask your deli meat manager!  And if you are shopping after the deli is closed, just read your labels of the prepackaged meats - there are definitely more options for good prepackaged meats than there used to be.