Alternatives to Deli Meat?

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mkeller234
mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Occasionally I eat Turkey from the deli despite the fact that I know it can be high in sodium. Recently I purchased lean generation brand and was able to fit it in, all while still staying well under the recommended sodium levels.

Are there any alternatives to buying sodium packed deli meat? I feel like I should be able to buy fresh meat that in slices....but I can't think of anything available. Maybe if I went to a real butcher?

Replies

  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Have you gone to the deli counter at the grocery store? It's often a lot better than packaged lunch meats.
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
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    Yes, I buy the turkey at the Deli counter. Like I said, it's not really all that terrible... In the day that I ate the turkey I still only logged 1500mg of sodium total.

    I just hear a lot about Deli meat being a semi-poor choice in general that I felt like I should seek an alternative.
  • skeene07
    skeene07 Posts: 57 Member
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    If you have a trader joes near by...they have packaged, sliced from the bird meat. I think turkey and chicken.
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
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    That is the sort of thing I was hoping to find out.... unfortunately the nearest Trader Joe's is a 1 hour drive! We do have a few good butchers in the area and I live 20 minutes out of Amish county. Perhaps I should have a look at something like that.
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
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    What about cooking up some chicken breasts and slicing them up for sandwich meat? That way you'd know exactly how much sodium is in them.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    What about cooking up some chicken breasts and slicing them up for sandwich meat? That way you'd know exactly how much sodium is in them.

    I have done this for years and it is way cheaper than the deli. I will cook up steak, chicken, whatever- slice it up thinly and you have cheaper, healthier, deli meat!

    $2/pound for raw chicken or $6/pound for sliced deli breast. No contest which one wins!
  • Mobstang
    Mobstang Posts: 10 Member
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    One of the challenges here is how to get those super thin cuts that they do with deli meat. I don't know what it is about it but the thinner the meat, the more I like it even if I just pile the same amount on the sandwich.

    What works for me was to buy and inexpensive deli meat slicer and now I smoke and slice my own "deli" meat. I can't get the super thin see-through slices but pretty dang close. You can also use the slicer for a ton of different things including your own healthy baked potato chips. Those actually come our really good and you barely have to add salt (if any).
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
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    Besides roasting and slicing meats yourself, I don't know any other alternative. If you are really committed, buy yourself a meat slicer, they are easy to find and I am sure if you use it enough it will pay for itself in no time.

    If you look around enough you should be able to find some other lower sodium brands.

    I buy some of the Applegate Farms deli meats at whole foods and I don't think the sodium numbers are too crazy on those.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    I buy a turkey breast (with bones) and cook it myself (usually 2 at a time). It can be done mulitple ways, roasting, crock pot or boiled depending on what you plan to do with the meat. After it is cooked I will de-bone it and freeze part of the meat for later use. I will sometimes boil down the bones to make stock and use that for a good hearty turkey rice, turkey veg, or turkey noodle soup. It tastes wayyyy better than the deli stuff, and has very little sodium (not to mention you can spice it as you like). I do the same with beef roast, pork roast, and chicken breasts. I always have ready to go meat in the freezer and fridge.

    Last time I bought turkey from the deli I had to throw it out....my guy thought it was too salty and he didn't like it at all!
  • eating4balance
    eating4balance Posts: 743 Member
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    1. Sara Lee offers reduced sodium turkey and ham.
    2. I like to cook 2 egg whites in the microwave and bring them to lunch and put them between 2 sliced of bread for a cold egg sandwich.
    3. Grilled chicken
    4. Reduced sodium tuna


    Good luck!
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
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    Great suggestions guys! I am not quite ready to commit to a new deli slicer just yet but I will try to slice my own and see how I like it.

    alleyhays, I have been puttin egg whites on EVERYTHING! I really enjoy them on top of any sandwich and I can add diced veggies to them so everything will stay neatly in place. I diced a habanero and jalepeno and added it to my last sandwich, it was really tasty.... and crazy hot. I think I drank 3-4 cups of water during that meal.
  • kicklikeaGIRL
    kicklikeaGIRL Posts: 867 Member
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    I usually roast or slow cook my birds. I don't have a Trader Joes...so I typically buy from the local grocer. And then I just use a fork to shred the meat, rather than use a slicer. Its just easier that way and less expensive. I typically put the meet in the crockpot or the oven and let them cook duringt the day, and then that night (usually I designate Sunday nights) I use the fork to shred the meat to bits. Especially if the meat is slowcooked it will shred and come apart very easily. And then I put the meat into freezer safe containers and put some in the freezer and leave some in the fridge for that week's use. Maybe that would help? And it is wayyy cheaper! As someone said $2/pound for chicken/turkey OR $6/pound for deli chicken. (I liked that!!! I had to copy it :bigsmile: ) Plus, you can control the sodium and flavoring :smile:

    I looove me some shredded turkey with a slice of swiss cheese and some avocado slices. YUMMMM!
  • miucifer
    miucifer Posts: 10 Member
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    I would say buy your own breast meat and cook it at home. That's the only way you're really going to know what's going on with the meat. No additives.

    And from a veggie standpoint, add more vegetables! :)

    There's also a lot of vegetarian "meats" available but I'm not sure how they really compare to the calories, fat, and carbohydrates. I would assume they're higher in protein and carbohydrates which depending on how the rest of your day looks, could be good or bad.
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
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    Yeah, I think I am going to try that next time I go shopping. I do eat veggie burgers. Yeah, I tend to favor fruit over veggies, but they have found there way into my sandwiches and i've been snacking on carrots. My food diary is open to view if you like... I wouldn't mind some input anyhow.

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