When moving to a healthy diet without processed foods many people assume that meats are all a healthy option. The fact is, however, that there are many different types of processed meats that contain added sugars, fats, nitrates, chemicals, preservatives and more. Whenever possible it is best to eat fresh cut meat that has not been processed in any way. The following meats are all processed in some way and should be removed from your diet when possible.
Lunch Meats:
Lunch meats are one of the most popular types of processed meats. While convenient, they should be removed from your diet:
Ham
Turkey
Roast Beef
Pastrami
Salami
Bologna
Corned Beef
Chicken
Smoked Meats
Pepperoni
Honey Ham or Turkey
Capicola
Chicken Breast
Dutch Loaf
Olive Loaf
Veal Loaf
Roast Pork
Diced Pancetta
Pancetta
Hard Salami
Serrano Ham
Porketta
Garlic Ham
Peppered Ham
Peppered Turkey
Peppered Roast Beef
Presto Parmesan Ham
Smoked Virginia Ham
Maple Glazed Ham
Maple Glazed Turkey
Sausages:
Sausage type meats are always processed and typically include added sugar, salt and other unhealthy items. In many cases, they also include added fats or oils.
Blood sausage
Boerewors
Hot Dogs
Summer Sausage
Winter Salami
Pepperette
Klobasa
Extrawurst
Vienna Sausage
Chorizo
Beutelwurst
Bratwurst
Turkey Sausage
Venison Sausage
Liver Sausage
Botillo
Androlla
Haggis
Boudin
Pickled Bologna
Oxford Sausage
Capocollo Hot
Cocktail Frankfurters
Hot Sausages
Pork Sausage
Goetta
Half-Smoked Sausage
Maxwell street Polish
Polish Sausage
Sausage Race
Chaudin
Braunschweiger
Lebanon Bologna
Of course, there are dozens of other types of sausage. These are just some examples to keep in mind.
Prepared Meats
Buying pre-cooked or pre-prepared meats is almost never a good idea. They are usually made with low-quality meat to begin with and have many added preservatives and other unhealthy items that should be avoided.
Chicken Nuggets
Rotisserie Chicken
Fast Food Hamburgers
Frozen Hamburgers
Frozen Pizzas (the meat toppings)
Pizza Rolls
SPAM
Bacon (precooked)
Frozen Dinners
Chicken Wings
Frozen Chicken Products
Corn Dogs
Breakfast Burritos
Fish Sticks
Hamburger Helper
Frozen Shrimp
Deep Fried Shrimp
Egg Rolls
Dumplings
Beef Jerky
Turkey Jerky
Duck Jerky
Venison Jerky
Lamb Jerky
Canadian Style Bacon
Chicken Salad
Ham Salad
Prepared Beef Shorts
Seared Pork Shank
Canned Chicken Breast
Frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu
Frozen Chicken Stuffed Broccoli
Fish Patties
Chicken & Shrimp
Baked Chicken
Meat Lasagna
There are many other types of processed meats out there as well. Any meat that is cooked, preserved or otherwise changed from the way it was originally cut off the animal is considered processed. Some processing is going to be worse for you than others, but for most people it is best to just avoid virtually all processed meats. Taking the time to buy fresh meat from a butcher, farm or other source and cooking it yourself will help ensure you are eating as healthy as possible. While it may be a little extra work up front, it is well worth the effort in the long run.
