LUNCHMEAT

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dorotka89
dorotka89 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
I like making my own sandwiches, I feel like it's a better option than going to subway or any other sandwich joint because I can make my own and it's a good meal. I usually have two pieces of whole wheat bread, my favorite veggies, and some lunchmeat. My question is deli meat okay to use if your trying to loose weight? My friend buys packaged meat and cheese. They are "all natural" (Hormel) turkey or chicken breast and reduced fat cheese (sargento) I prefer to get some sliced meat and cheese from the deli just enough so I dont waste any. I think it's fresher and not so much sodium but am I wrong? And also if anyone wants to share what they like to put on their sandwich that would make for a good healthy lunch Thanks!

Replies

  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
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    Lunchmeat and cheese = sodium.
    But who cares. It's tasty. Drink a little more water. Get some extra potassium.
    Oh and as for a delightful sandwich - try nutella with bananas. That's the only kinda sandwich I care to eat.

    BTW - everything is okay to eat if you are trying to lose weight. Your body doesn't care if its getting carbs from an apple or bread, protein from lunchmeat or a chicken breast. All in moderation.
  • LanceWindu
    LanceWindu Posts: 5
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    Deli meats have quite a bit of sodium.

    That said, I love me some Jennie-O Turkey Pastrami from the deli. 2oz is only 70 calories.
  • IronDame
    IronDame Posts: 275
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    Lunchmeat and cheese = sodium.
    But who cares. It's tasty. Drink a little more water. Get some extra potassium.
    Oh and as for a delightful sandwich - try nutella with bananas. That's the only kinda sandwich I care to eat.
    Agreed...my sodium is always high, but nothing a little extra water won't fix.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I totally eat both kinds of lunch meat (packaged and deli sliced) and I am pretty darn sure it's all high in sodium. You can choose lower sodium options at the deli counter, but they are still higher than if you roasted your own meat and sliced it. One easy option is to cook some chicken and turn it into a healthy chicken salad to put on your bread instead of the deli meats. You don't have to drown it in mayo...lots of healthy options out there! I wish I had more suggestions, but I am drawing a blank right now!
  • Christylee76
    Christylee76 Posts: 138 Member
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    I just bought some lunchmeat at Walmart deli yesterday. It's Sara Lee Honey Roasted Turkey breast with lower sodium.
  • tweetybaby69
    tweetybaby69 Posts: 258 Member
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    Try Boars Head, the cuts are a little leaner and you can get lower sodium cuts for meat as well as cheese. I have a deli sandwich pretty much every day and if I feel like it is a little heavier on the sodium, I adjust my dinner.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
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    I pass on processed meats and bread. I eat other stuff that is healthier.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    I get low sodium Boars Head ham and turkey from the deli. It's still high, but lower than the other stuff.
  • Bronx_Montgomery
    Bronx_Montgomery Posts: 2,287 Member
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    There is a lot of sodium but the do not get the processed kind. Get it fresh from the deli. I always either have Jennie O's Turkey Breast or Chicken breast deli meat. Its soo good with Swiss Cheese.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    There is a lot of sodium but the do not get the processed kind. Get it fresh from the deli. I always either have Jennie O's Turkey Breast or Chicken breast deli meat. Its soo good with Swiss Cheese.

    Deli meat is still processed.

    But sandwiches are delicious, so who cares? :laugh:

    Enjoy it, maybe look for a lower sodium kind (but warning...it's not that much lower) and drink some extra water.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    Absolutely. I love Boar's Head Ovengold turkey. It's so good. 60 cals for 2oz. I'm weird and don't like my deli meat like in bread...so I eat it as it is and have other stuff with it. It's a little high in sodium, yes, but has tons of protein and has never prevented me from losing weight.

    I don't like the prepackaged sandwich meat.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
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    Sodium is NOT always high on deli meats or cheeses.

    Boar's Head offers a line of lower sodium and no-salt products. The No Salt Added roast beef (http://boarshead.com/products/beef/242-no-salt-added-choice-cap-off-top-round-half), which I buy all the time is delicious and only 40mg of sodium for a 2 ounce serving. The No Salt Added turkey breast (http://boarshead.com/products/lower-sodium/13018-no-salt-added-oven-roasted-turkey-breast) is 55mg of sodium per serving.

    Swiss cheeses is almost always low in sodium and hovers in the 35-50mg per slice range.

    It's like everything else, if you look, there's alternatives out there.

    (Another great choice would be to make your sammiches using meats that you've prepared yourself. A shredded chicken or sliced beef or pork sandwich that's homemade that you control all the ingredients.)
  • alvalaurie
    alvalaurie Posts: 369 Member
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    Not sure if my thinking is correct but I prefer to get deli meats over pre-packaged. Somehow I feel they are more healthy due to less fillers & preservatives. All of it is high in sodium, but everything in moderation isn't going to kill your day.
  • claritarejoice
    claritarejoice Posts: 461 Member
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    Good question. The only thing that really makes a difference for losing weight is calories in and calories out, so yes lunch meat is a good choice - there are many low cal options. I personally don't eat any processed meat because of the additives (it can contribute to cancer if eaten regularly, but it's fine for you if you typically eat healthy, just my preference). I just googled Hormel all-natural lunch meats, and they do look better than other lunch meats that I've seen at the store, but still not as much nutrition as just meat. Also for me I have to think about the cost - Lunch meat is expensive.

    Maybe do lunch meat sometimes but not all the time? You could switch it up with a natural chicken breast in the sandwich. I personally love salads for lunch, which are just as easy as sandwiches and can fit more veggies. I hope this helps.
  • karrielynn80
    karrielynn80 Posts: 395 Member
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    I'm glad to see everyone saying "it has a lot of sodium...but drink extra water to compensate" - i've always wondered why people freak out about sodium - i mean i try to eat as lil processed foods as possible, but with my schedule, it's hard to avoid @ times... but considering i drink on average 120 oz of water - i figured it got flushed out pretty good.

    Makes me feel btr :) (thought there might be another something i was missing :) )
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I like making my own sandwiches, I feel like it's a better option than going to subway or any other sandwich joint because I can make my own and it's a good meal. I usually have two pieces of whole wheat bread, my favorite veggies, and some lunchmeat. My question is deli meat okay to use if your trying to loose weight? My friend buys packaged meat and cheese. They are "all natural" (Hormel) turkey or chicken breast and reduced fat cheese (sargento) I prefer to get some sliced meat and cheese from the deli just enough so I dont waste any. I think it's fresher and not so much sodium but am I wrong? And also if anyone wants to share what they like to put on their sandwich that would make for a good healthy lunch Thanks!

    Lunch meat is great for weight loss. It's definitely far far better than the two pieces of bread you have it stuck between. You can buy low sodium lunch meat if you want, but really there is not much reason to worry about salt unless you have blood pressure issues.

    If you want a better lunch for weight loss, switch to using a wrap instead of two whole slices of bread.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Lunch meats are usually high sodium and full of preservatives. Plus I've read some disturbing articles about processed meats and the risk of cancer. This has never been a problem for me as I'm not a big sandwich eater, but my husband takes a sandwich for lunch every day. So, I started roasting my own meat for his sandwiches. Typically on Sunday evenings we will have roast chicken or turkey for dinner and I use the leftovers to make his sandwiches for lunch.

    It's really no extra trouble since we'd be cooking something for Sunday dinner anyway, and he says the sandwiches taste better than deli meat.

    ETA: This ^^ all has to do with the health impact of the food and nothing to do with losing weight. Weight loss, for the most part, is about calories, though the sodium content of deli meat could cause water weight.

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