Is a slab of breakfast ham from the deli counter considered "processed", or is it just a cut of meat?

Question

I'm pregnant and trying to cut back on eating so much processed meats (I normally eat them every day and have heard that isn't so great due to nitrates).

I eat a lot of omlettes and have to have ham in them. I've been buying small breakfast hams and using them for that purpose. Just wondering though, is a 'breakfast ham' (flat pre-cooked slice of ham from deli counter) considered processed meat? Or is it just a cut of meat that is made convenient? Is it healthier than deli-shaved ham? I'm so confused and don't want to be mis-informed. Does anyone know?

Answer 1

Yes, it is considered processed. A hint on that is the pink cured color of the ham that is the reaction of heat on the nitrites/nitrates added. However, don't assume just because you're cutting out processed meats, you're cutting out nitrites. MANY of the things you eat naturally have nitrites and nitrates. Based on the average consumption of processed meats, you will actually swallow more nitrites/nitrates in your spit than you will get from processed meats. Nitrites/nitrates are actually necessary for proper cardiac muscle function and are also thought to naturally fend off bad bacteria in the GI tract.



Veggies like celery, spinach, carrots, beets, broccoli, etc. all have their own natural levels and in naturally or organically cured meats you'll commonly find vegetable juice added to cure the meat. The scary thing about this is the amount of nitrate added to natural and organic products is not yet regulated by the government, whereas conventionally cured products are very strictly regulated. The legal levels added to conventionally cured products are such that when the meat is cooked, there are very very low residual nitrite levels.



Most importantly though, PLEASE if you're pregnant, under no circumstances eat deli meats. Listeria monocytogenes is the main bacteria of concern in deli meats and causes listeriosis which pregnant women are 20 times more likely to get. If you get listeriosis while you're pregnant, you can cause a spontaneous abortion, still birth, or premature delivery. PLEASE don't eat deli meats!

Answer 2

I asked my doctor about deli meat and she said to stay away from it because of listeria. When I checked it on the computer the number of people who get listeria a year is not real high but when you are further along in your pregnancy you can be more susceptible to the harmful bacteria. On this same sight Subway recommended that pregnant women not eat the lunch meat and went on to suggest what to eat instead that would be safe. Keep in mind with my second pregnancy all I ate was Subway turkey sandwiches because that's what I craved. I had know idea about the lunch meat controversy. My doctor also said to stay away from the soft cheese that you get at the Mexican restaurants because they can be dangerous as well. It's so hard to know what to eat because it seems like everything is dangerous to the baby. With this last pregnancy, which ended at 12 wks, I did stay away from all lunch meat because I was so worried about it. Good luck and I hope that my answer helped a little. If you are like me you are probably more confused than ever. lol I also wanted to thank you for all of the kind words and support you gave me during my m/c. It really helped and meant alot to me.

Answer 3

It probably is processed. Buy a half ham from the store and cook it yourself. Slice it and freeze some for future use.

Answer 4

congrats!

so ...

its not processed

its also know as canadian bacon

it is much healthier (leaner/less sodium) then regular bacon

and a lot less salt then deli sliced ham



overall good choice but there is still lots of salt in ham period

Answer 5

all of those are processed with nitrates. If you are looking for something unprocessed, look in the fresh meat cooler. If you have to cook it yourself, you can control the ingredients, fat, etc.