The Deli Meats You Should Buy For A Less Processed Sandwich

We could rhapsodize for hours on the virtues of a great deli sandwich, from a hot ham and cheddar made with shredded cheese (which belongs on melt sandwiches) to rye bread piled high with olive loaf, the old-school option that was once way more popular. This is to say nothing about Italian subs, Cubanos, roast beef on weck, or any other sammies we love. Yet, some folks have health concerns about eating too much deli meat due to the high amount of processing involved in making these products, a step that is linked to cancer in some studies.

Are all deli and lunch meats processed? The good news is that, while some degree of processing is present in just about every meat we omnivores consume, there are definitely better choices available. Deli meat that's sliced fresh for you at a counter is almost always a better choice than prepackaged meats. Yes, that means you have to deal with the inconvenience of waiting in line at the deli, but the payoff is lunch meat that, depending on your choice, may contain fewer preservatives and a lower level of processing. 

Certain meats are also better choices, like turkey, ham, and roast beef ... good news, because the former two are far and away the most popular deli meats in America! Sandwich stuffers that come from mixed meat sources, like bologna, pepperoni, salami, or pastrami, have a more substantial link to preventable types of cancer, likely in part due to their more processed nature. The fewer steps between the whole animal and your sandwich, the better. 

Having the occasional deli meat sandwich is almost certainly not going to hurt you, just like most foods we enjoy in moderation. Indulging in processed foods too often, however, carries certain risks that are still being explored by physicians and scientists. What we know as "processing" is an umbrella term that covers a wide variety of how meats are treated, such as smoking, curing, or salting, among others. Researchers are not exactly sure what mechanisms are involved in creating a higher cancer risk among people who eat a diet high in processed meats, but they have established a link. Some theories include nitrates and nitrosamines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and/or heterocyclic amines (HCAs), along with high levels of salt.

So, what can you do to lower your risk of cancers related to processed foods? The number one tip given by experts is to get well-acquainted with the labels of the foods you eat. Read the list of ingredients, and look for keywords like "nitrates," "salted," or "treated." Depending on your personal estimation of comfortable risk, you may want to choose these products less often or even avoid them completely. Remember that pre-sliced deli meats have almost always been processed to a higher degree and that having fresh-sliced meat from a product that's already less processed (again, look at the ingredients — are there fewer than five?) is your best option.