Deli meats

Mitzki5
Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
I am eating healthier. Trying to eat more turkey and chicken rather than red meat. I thought sliced deli meat would be the way to go and have been eating a lot of turkey. It seems like the deli turkey is very high in sodium. Anyone know a brand of sliced turkey that's better for me with less sodium?
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Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,230 Member
    Deli meat by its very nature tends to be high in sodium. I don't worry about it myself, as I don't have any health concerns that warrant it, but if you're concerned, could you maybe roast some turkey breast to use rather than buying the deli meat?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Boar's Head is usually a good brand.
  • ms_smartypants
    ms_smartypants Posts: 8,278 Member
    I use jennie o low sodium deli turkey
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    They have low and no sodium deli meat. Just ask the deli dude. I love the sodium.
  • GoldaTyla
    GoldaTyla Posts: 19 Member
    I've learned how important it is to actually read the ingredients labels as well as the nutrition information on packaged deli meats. If you must have deli, try purchasing directly from butcher shops --- might be more expensive, but maybe less sodium???
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Go with roasted instead of deli meat. Tastes better too, IMHO.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I've been eating slices of turkey as snacks or making a wrap without bread. Didn't realize how much sodium in the Kretschmar Oven Roasted Turkey until I started logging on here.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    These posts make me nervous because I really do not care about sodium, then I see people caring..
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I have always heard you don't want to much in your diet but I don't really know.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    These posts make me nervous because I really do not care about sodium, then I see people caring..

    Is it bad that I only care because I can see it on the scale right away?
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
    Try not to have too much but you can have some. Sodium is actually necessary.
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I have always heard you don't want to much in your diet but I don't really know.

    Well, there are health problems like hypertension that are associated with excessive consumption and we're all pretty much excessive consumers.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    These posts make me nervous because I really do not care about sodium, then I see people caring..

    Is it bad that I only care because I can see it on the scale right away?

    No, I mean I get that. I guess I've always had a high sodium intake and I don't weigh myself very often so maybe I just don't notice it as much. Lately I was thinking maybe I should tone it down a little and see what the scale does.
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    I LOVE deli meat, and I could eat it all day but my cat always wants to share with me lol
  • Deli meat by its very nature tends to be high in sodium. I don't worry about it myself, as I don't have any health concerns that warrant it, but if you're concerned, could you maybe roast some turkey breast to use rather than buying the deli meat?

    Totally agree. I don't care too much about sodium either unless it's in excessive amounts. Might be a bit expensive to buy your own meats but would definitely be a good reduction in sodium if you are greatly concerned about it :)

  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
    I suggest just buying a turkey breast and roasting it yourself.

    I am done with processed foods, and all the Franken -Chemicals as preservatives. That way you control the sodium- none, and per a pound, it is far cheaper.

    Usually, I just buy a rotisserie chicken, break it down, it lasts me a week.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I suggest just buying a turkey breast and roasting it yourself.

    I am done with processed foods, and all the Franken -Chemicals as preservatives. That way you control the sodium- none, and per a pound, it is far cheaper.

    Usually, I just buy a rotisserie chicken, break it down, it lasts me a week.

    lol at roasting stuff. Way too ambitious for me.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    I did find the Kretschmar makes a low sodium turkey. It is about 1/2 the regular. Still high though.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I did find the Kretschmar makes a low sodium turkey. It is about 1/2 the regular. Still high though.

    The butcher told me that the boars head came in NO sodium. I don't really know if that's true because I didn't look it up and it seems like they would have a hard time getting it to keep, but I did buy it. Definitely only bought a little and it tasted like there was no darn salt.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I did find the Kretschmar makes a low sodium turkey. It is about 1/2 the regular. Still high though.

    I know that I would never do this for lunch meat. It is a good idea for a healthier food but I know myself and would give up deli turkey before roasting my own lunch meats.


  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I did find the Kretschmar makes a low sodium turkey. It is about 1/2 the regular. Still high though.

    I know that I would never do this for lunch meat. It is a good idea for a healthier food but I know myself and would give up deli turkey before roasting my own lunch meats.


    Did you mean to quote something else? Anyway, I hear you on roasting. I have basically never used my oven and I'm proud of myself for cooking veggies in a pan every night.

    Just get some lower sodium deli meat if it bothers you.
  • Mitzki5
    Mitzki5 Posts: 482 Member
    Opps....my bad. Yes, meant to quote something else.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I have always heard you don't want to much in your diet but I don't really know.

    Well, there are health problems like hypertension that are associated with excessive consumption and we're all pretty much excessive consumers.

    You have to have hypertension for excessive sodium to affect it. Sodium won't cause hypertension.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    edited January 2015
    I suggest just buying a turkey breast and roasting it yourself.

    I am done with processed foods, and all the Franken -Chemicals as preservatives. That way you control the sodium- none, and per a pound, it is far cheaper.

    Usually, I just buy a rotisserie chicken, break it down, it lasts me a week.

    Done with processed foods, yet you buy rotisserie chickens. Do you know what the word "processed" actually means? I'm guessing the answer is no...
  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    tigersword wrote: »
    Mitzki5 wrote: »
    I have always heard you don't want to much in your diet but I don't really know.

    Well, there are health problems like hypertension that are associated with excessive consumption and we're all pretty much excessive consumers.

    You have to have hypertension for excessive sodium to affect it. Sodium won't cause hypertension.

    Doesn't it?
  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
    I like deli meats. They're perfect for meat and cheese roll ups. Also tasty in my eggs.

    As for salt, I have issues keeping my bp steady when I lose weight and have low blood pressure attacks. But as someone said above, sodium is a necessary electrolyte.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    High sodium is a factor for a only a small percentage of the U.S. population.
  • sugarpeas
    sugarpeas Posts: 56 Member
    Hello! I work in a deli so I'll give you a couple hints.
    This is Canadian based, but I'm sure it's similar if not the same in certain places, specifically the U.S.

    If you are watching your sodium stick with chicken. The one from my deli counter is roughly 16% sodium, where ham is about 34%. Turkey is mid-range.

    If you are watching fat intake chicken and turkey are you best bet.

    Gluten? Freybe is gluten free, as well as a lot of other salami's.

    'Natural' is a very funny term any where but quite often used in the deli market.
    Natural could mean it's tastes natural, has some ( or 1! ) natural ingredient, or is actually natural.
    Natural often has more sodium.
    Brands are starting to list an ingredient called 'celery extract' but I'm not actually sure if this is a better natural source of preservative.

    If you are looking for nitrate free I know in Canada most lilydale's products are.

    That's just at the top of my head.
    if you have any other questions regarding deli meat or products in the deli I could look more into it tomorrow.

  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    sugarpeas wrote: »
    Hello! I work in a deli so I'll give you a couple hints.
    This is Canadian based, but I'm sure it's similar if not the same in certain places, specifically the U.S.

    If you are watching your sodium stick with chicken. The one from my deli counter is roughly 16% sodium, where ham is about 34%. Turkey is mid-range.

    If you are watching fat intake chicken and turkey are you best bet.

    Gluten? Freybe is gluten free, as well as a lot of other salami's.

    'Natural' is a very funny term any where but quite often used in the deli market.
    Natural could mean it's tastes natural, has some ( or 1! ) natural ingredient, or is actually natural.
    Natural often has more sodium.
    Brands are starting to list an ingredient called 'celery extract' but I'm not actually sure if this is a better natural source of preservative.

    If you are looking for nitrate free I know in Canada most lilydale's products are.

    That's just at the top of my head.
    if you have any other questions regarding deli meat or products in the deli I could look more into it tomorrow.

    Love getting info from a real person who has good info. Thanks for posting.One thing I notice in deli meats,the turkey keeps longer. Maybe because it has more sodium?

  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
    patceoh wrote: »
    sugarpeas wrote: »
    Hello! I work in a deli so I'll give you a couple hints.
    This is Canadian based, but I'm sure it's similar if not the same in certain places, specifically the U.S.

    If you are watching your sodium stick with chicken. The one from my deli counter is roughly 16% sodium, where ham is about 34%. Turkey is mid-range.

    If you are watching fat intake chicken and turkey are you best bet.

    Gluten? Freybe is gluten free, as well as a lot of other salami's.

    'Natural' is a very funny term any where but quite often used in the deli market.
    Natural could mean it's tastes natural, has some ( or 1! ) natural ingredient, or is actually natural.
    Natural often has more sodium.
    Brands are starting to list an ingredient called 'celery extract' but I'm not actually sure if this is a better natural source of preservative.

    If you are looking for nitrate free I know in Canada most lilydale's products are.

    That's just at the top of my head.
    if you have any other questions regarding deli meat or products in the deli I could look more into it tomorrow.

    Love getting info from a real person who has good info. Thanks for posting.One thing I notice in deli meats,the turkey keeps longer. Maybe because it has more sodium?

    Salt is a natural preservative, and salt and smoke were the original ways of preservation. :)

    In the US, I don't think those brands exist, at least not around here.

    For those who are gluten-free, it is wise to drill the people behind the counter about their procedures. I've seen some gnarly stuff happening back there that can cause cross contamination and symptoms to those who are extra sensitive.
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