Food & Drink

Are meat cold-cuts really that bad?

  • Last Updated:
  • May 24th, 2018 10:58 pm
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Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
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qman23 wrote: If nitrates are a concern to you, one serving of arugula lettuce has more nitrates than 400 hotdogs.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5412236/
But the hotdogs will have at least 100 hot dog units worth of fat between them. When people joke that they are not really meat it's because they are at least 1/4 fat by weight to make them nice and smooth and tender. Then you are losing out on that much more protein. Bologna, lunch meat, all of that. Deli meat like chicken, roast beef, turkey, lean ham is much more meatlike.
Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
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qman23 wrote: Fat content has nothing to do with my post about nitrates being higher in vegetables than cured meats.

What's your point?
A good steak can be 35-40% fat. It's not meat?
No, it's only 60-65% meat, that's my point. It's not the nitrates that are an issue (because historically people ate a heck of a lot more of them...it's relatively recently that science has proven how low you can go) it's that you are eating a meat-fat slurry and calling it meat.
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Nov 15, 2008
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qman23 wrote: If you believe that nitrates are not a concern, and you don't disagree that vegetables have higher nitrates than cured meats,

Then I don't understand how your reply about fat content has anything to do with my statement

"If nitrates are a concern to you, one serving of arugula lettuce has more nitrates than 400 hotdogs."

I was putting nitrates into context, not advocating dietary choices.
I was just building context around hot dogs, sorry.
Sr. Member
Apr 4, 2012
627 posts
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Toronto
qman23 wrote: Have you read that trans fats have benefits? I'd be interested in seeing that.
Look into ruminant trans fats conjugated linoleic acid and vaccenic acid, there are some studies showing positive health effects
Deal Addict
Jan 2, 2015
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tranquility922 wrote:
How bad is it really? Cancer-causing as another poster said?

I dunno if I really need that meat for the daily recommended intake quota but doesn't seem like there's a quick alternative. Wish I had time to bake the chicken breast, for example, but unfortunately don't.
Well, they have said nitrates do cause a lot problems and there are no health benefits to them. The challenge is no one really knows how much is bad and there are so many other factors. But nitrates are a risk factor.
tranquility922 wrote:
That's what I'm leaning towards, seems like everything is supposed bad for ppl.

Mr Sub everyday is bad as well? Man... :/
I agree, everything is bad in too much quantities, but some things are higher risks factors. Just like smoking increases the risk of lung dieseases, there are many example where so and smoke until 90 or whatever.

We like processed meats in our family from bacon, smokies, cured meats, to lunch meat. I tend to follow what our paediatrician and the nutritionist says. Which is those things that may seem higher risk, especially for kids, eat in moderation. Our pediatrian said to try and limit servings to about once every week or two. In our house my spouse had really high blood pressure so none for him at all.
tranquility922 wrote: I don't have/like to spend much time prepping food at home, so whenever we cook something, it seems convenient to just make the main dish and plop some cold-cuts on top to fulfill my meat needs. However, I think that I read enough here that RFDers aren't fans of it, but what realistic alternatives are there for ppl on the go? TIA.
If you are looking for none nitrate quick protein sources, some ideas (if you have an instant pot I have more ideas). My youngest loves cure mea but doesn’t like meat s I look for quick and easy.

- eggs - boil a whole bunch and refrigerate, or fry them and add it on
- chicken breast cook a lot up ( like 10 or 20 breast) on th expenses barbecue (same amount of effort and gas ). Once cooked, slice some, dice some, keep what you will eat for 3 days in the fridge, freeze the rest on a cookie sheet. It makes easy sandwiches or add ins to other meal
- make a roast and slice it up for the week, feeeze the rest
- beans, lentils, can be added in for protein
- high protein yogurt and bread
- canned tuna and salmon, though high in sodium, doesn’t have the nitrates.
- ‘steaming’ Fish in the microwave. Sounds awful, but salmon cooked in the microwave is great. From fresh, season it, add some lemon, put in a cover container, cook for two minutes, let it continue to cook while it cooks, frozen takes about 5 minutes. It’s really moist.
-shrimp is really fast too we have them in bags, some we throw marinade in, and thaw. It takes under 6 min to cook.
Last edited by Macx2mommy on May 23rd, 2018 1:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Deal Addict
Jun 21, 2016
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bad for you? nope
healthy for you? nope

just like eating bread

you can eat it, just don't expect too cure cancer from eating it
Deal Guru
Mar 14, 2005
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Ur azn. Just drop by chinatown and pick up some bbq pork... probably has nitrates due to the colour?? I dunno, but probably still healthier than cold cuts.
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Sep 21, 2010
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Becks wrote: Ur azn. Just drop by chinatown and pick up some bbq pork... probably has nitrates due to the colour?? I dunno, but probably still healthier than cold cuts.
Really, Chinese bbq pork is healthier than cold cuts?
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Deal Guru
Jun 29, 2010
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tranquility922 wrote: Really, Chinese bbq pork is healthier than cold cuts?
it's sort of like comparing pogo sticks to pizza pops. i wouldn't throw out the word healthy for any of these items. have them once in awhile and don't worry about it. there are other better suggestions mentioned in this thread for regular consumption.
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Aug 11, 2008
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I am at the point now, where I just say eff it all. One study says x is bad, next 2 says it is not, next 3 say it is, next 4 say its not. Blah blah blah blah. The only thing that is constant is that nearly 98% of the time, there is a spin or agenda motive behind the "study" that will financially benefit some corporation.
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Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
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Chinese bbq pork is pork neck, it's like the double chin of the pig. Laced with globs of fat.
Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
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Nitrates/nitrites by themselves are harmless. It's the reaction with meat that creates nitrosamines which are known to be carcinogenic. This has been known for a few decades now. Nitrates/nitrites are used because they cure meat faster and makes the meat red. Salt-cured meat looks grey. I have been searching for bacon that isn't cured with nitrates or nitrites (or celery extract, which is rich in both), and find it is very hard to get and is also expensive ($11/lb but very little/no added water). I just eat less as a result. I have a family history of colon cancer (2 2nd degree relatives dead by around my relatively-young age). I've severely limited my nitrite/nitrate intake and no polyps in my last colonoscopy (3 the first 3 years ago).

I eat meat and fat (there's apparently no link between dietary cholesterol and cholesterol levels) but try my best to avoid meat cured with nitrates/nitrites.

For a good read:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/m ... s-sausages

FWIW, the makers of Parma proscuitto ham (Italian by definition) have only used salt for the past quarter century.
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
Deal Guru
Jul 7, 2017
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lecale wrote: Chinese bbq pork is pork neck, it's like the double chin of the pig. Laced with globs of fat.
What pork neck I've found is pretty lean and thin. The Cantonese butchers my old neighborhood in Vancouver claimed butt (shoulder) was the preferred cut.

Not sure what coloring is used in char siu but I imagine it could be pretty nasty. At least it is not yellow.
I smile when I see container ships sailing past my house laden with stuff made in China
Member
Apr 18, 2017
491 posts
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80% of nitrate exposure is endogenous, found in saliva.
Of the food sourced nitrates in an average diet ~95% comes from vegetables.
If combining them with meat was a problem, then moms advice of
"eat your vegetables and chew your food"
was doubly wrong.

Nitrosamines require high heat to be formed.
Most people don't fry their cold cuts.

Cured bacon shows no nitrosamines if the temp is kept less than 275.
If you like crispy bacon, even nitrate free bacon will form carcinogenic heterocyclic amines.
Any overdone protein will, not just meat.

Carbohydrates have the additional issue of acrylamide formation at only 248F. Health Canada is now (as of 2017) working to reduce the amount of acrylamide in processed foods.

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