Swap out highly processed meat for fresher options

Highly processed meats like bacon, sausage, and lunch meats are undoubtedly handy and delicious. However, these meat options can also be high in nitrates, a substance that, when cooked, can produce compounds that may cause cancer. Many of these meat options are also very salty. Studies have revealed links between processed meat and numerous cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.

In comparison to unprocessed meat, processed beef offers a little bit more fat, calories, and protein per serving, but less cholesterol. Salt (processed meat contains four times as much salt as unprocessed meat) and non-salt preservatives (higher in processed meat) are the main nutritional differences between unprocessed and processed red meat. Fresh cuts of meat, such as those turkey, chicken, and beef, can provide a tasty meat alternative that is lower in salt and nitrate-free.