Question about deli meats

[midwestgirl]

So I purchased some sliced roast beef & ham at the grocery store today. They were straight from the deli so I assumed they were the freshest of all.. On the outside of the glass was a sticky note that said both were MSG & Glutten free so I was pretty giddy about purchasing them. When I brought them home though I noticed that the igredients included sodium nitrate, dextrose, along with a few other "no no's" on the induction list. In the book I remember reading the when purchasing cold cuts get them directly in the freshest form... What's the deal here AND do i still have a guilt free chance of eating them??????

[IrishIrish]

I agree that it is hard finding lunch meat without the additives. Having said that, if you can find Boar's Head Brand which is carried in many delis and specialty grocery stores, they are good wholesome cuts.

[phil h]

You can find some good Italian sausage at costco that is essentially carb free.My body is made up of nitrates as well as nitrites,so they don't concern me.Tough finding the sliced deli meat without dextrose added.Roast beef is usally only one I can find.Have you considered making your own beef brisket jerky?

[Whatsername]

That is a tough one (at least for me). I think the deli workers at my store must groan when they see me because I ask to see the nutrition label for everything before I buy it. I think I have found turkey with no sugar and that is about it.
As Phil suggested, I will make a roast of some sort, and use the left overs for my lunch meat. I actually rarely buy deli meat now.
I have found a very good sausage that has no nitrates or sugar in it. That is my breakfast most days. I have never found bacon that is sugar free but have eaten it from time to time and it doesn't seem to hold me back if I am careful about how much I eat.
Good luck.

[Slapshot]

If you have a Whole Foods near you, they make their own in-house roasted turkey breast (salt, spices, garlic) and roast beef (salt, pepper, garlic). It's somewhat pricey, but worth it for the healthful ingredients (compared to most other lunch/deli meats).