Is Lunch Meat Healthy?

Is Lunch Meat Healthy?

A prospective study following 448,568 people across Europe showed a positive association between processed meat consumption and mortality, due to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Similarly, a prospective study in the United States following half a million people concluded a similar association with death and increased processed meat consumption. The World Cancer Research Fund International guidelines on cancer prevention recommend avoiding all processed meats.

• Commonwealth countries. In Commonwealth countries, luncheon meat specifically refers to products that can include mechanically reclaimed meat and offal. In these countries, the terms "cold meats", "cooked meats", "deli meats", or "sliced meats" are used, instead.
• Latin America. In Guatemala, lunch meat is a traditional dish eaten in November. It is eaten the first and second day of the month to celebrate El día de Todos Los Santos (All Saints' Day) and El día de Todos Los Difuntos (All Souls' Day). The two types are red and white.
• Central Europe. The product got more popular after the investigation what it contains. E.g. LUNCHEON MEAT TULIP (made in Denmark) is not made of 70% of meat as expected (base on country standard), but contains 18% of pork meat, 39% of chicken mechanically separated meat, 18% of pork mechanically separated meat.

According to the North American Meat Institute (NAMI), sodium nitrite is salt and an antioxidant that is used to cure ham, bacon and hot dogs. It also stops the growth of botulism-causing bacteria, prevents spoilage, and gives cured meats their color and flavor. Sodium nitrite also helps prevent the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes the foodborne illness listeriosis.

Listeriosis causes fever, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, nausea, and vomiting. It’s especially dangerous for pregnant women because even if it doesn’t make the mom feel sick, she can still pass it along to her baby, causing serious complications. Listeria is a tricky bacteria because it can grow under refrigeration. Deli meats and hot dogs are only safe for pregnant women if they are heated to 165°, and that pretty much negates the idea of a quick sandwich.

How Long Does Lunch Meat Last?

You buy a package of sliced ham at the grocery store, bring it home and put it in the refrigerator. Maybe you make a few sandwiches on the weekend and then you put the package back in the fridge. The clock is now ticking and you have 3 to 5 days to use them. They may not smell bad or look bad, but remember—listeria can grow in the refrigerator. If you purchase meat sliced fresh at the deli, it needs to be eaten within 3 days.

Here are tons of ways to cook with lunch meat.

• As a Crust

Tuck a slice of lunchmeat into the wells of a muffin tin, crack an egg into each well, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with finely chopped vegetables, and bake until the whites of the eggs are cooked completely. In minutes you’ll have breakfast for the whole week (or for entertaining a crowd).

• In Your Pasta

Dice up lunchmeat ham and crisp it in a nonstick pan with a little oil for an easy twist on classic carbonara. Tossed into a pound of hot pasta, together with cream, fork-scrambled eggs, chopped garlic, and fresh parsley, it is one of my family’s very favorite dinners.

• On Your Pizza

Follow the lead of your neighborhood pizza parlor by sprinkling chunks of pineapple and layering ham onto some homemade pie. You can turn whichever lunchmeat you have on hand into a topping, actually; we like to spread diced roast beef, shredded sharp cheddar, and BBQ sauce for a really hearty pizza.

• As a Snack

Tap into your childhood by rolling up slices of turkey or roast beef with a generous schmear of cream cheese. Dazzle your own children by surprising them with a pickle-spear addition inside. *This also makes for a crowd-pleasing appetizer to contribute to a potluck.

• For Breakfast

Divvy up a big batch of cheesy scrambled eggs into lunchmeat tacos for breakfast. The combo of eggs and meat is my protein-rich standby for weekend mornings full of soccer games and rugby matches. Bonus: They’re handheld, and super easy to eat in the car.

• In Your Pretzels

Sneak ham and cheddar cheese inside of homemade pretzels for snacking brilliance. A melty surprise makes you the after-school hero in just one bite!

• In Your Eggs

Scramble has torn up lunchmeat and hash-brown potatoes into eggs on Sunday morning. Or, tuck them into a fluffy omelet, made to order, with colorful veggies and copious amounts of cheese.

• In Your Dips

Keep the fixings for a dip or two in your fridge at all points. Any combination of sour cream/cream cheese/lunchmeat can be stirred together or rolled into a ball for the ultimate answer to “hangry-ness” while dinner’s being made. Doctor up the simple design with fresh herbs, hot sauce, or prepared mustard.

• On Top of Soup

Transform a bowl of soup into a full-fledged meal with a heaping mound of crisped, chopped lunchmeat right on top. It serves not only as a fancy-dancy garnish, but it adds texture, flavor, and heartiness too.

• Tossed into Salad

There’s a reason Cobb Salad makes every restaurant lunch menu – it’s the lunchmeat! Craft a Cobb for yourself at home by tossing together the lunchmeat in your fridge right now with your favorite greens, freshly chopped vegetables, and a hardboiled egg or two.