I briefly touched on the carcinogenic sodium nitrite treated cold cuts from the deli counter. If you’re still buying deli meats then you can stop when you run out of your current supply. Other options are to use either fresh organically-raised grass-fed or pastured meats (look for “no nitrites” on the label or ask your farmer), sustainable fish, or have an egg salad sandwich, salad, humus and pita, etc. When tomatoes are in season, a LT (lettuce and tomato) sandwich is delicious.
Before the switch to real food, we used to buy lunch meat every week as part of the weekly shopping trip, although I had a feeling it was a bad choice. In three studies that reported the effects of processed meat intake and the colon, high consumption (one per day) of processed meat (lunch meat and hot dogs) was associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.[1] Finally we stopped buying it and replaced it with other lunch ideas – you can find a million healthy lunch ideas online. Every now and then one of the kids will ask for lunch meat and we’ll explain why we don’t buy it anymore.
Once in a great while, I’ll get an organic turkey breast and roast it to make sliced turkey that can be used in hot or cold sandwiches. If you buy a turkey breast in the meat department at the regular grocery store it is processed with sugar, salt, and other chemicals, so you need a farmer or local real-food market. All you need to put on the turkey breast to roast it is salt and pepper, but you can also sprinkle with a variety of herbs. I have a spice in my cupboard called Herbs of Italy; I don’t remember where I got it but I’d like to use it up, so it went on the turkey breast. I roasted mine for 3 hours because I didn’t entirely thaw it first. I took it out at 155 degrees because I know mine is safe but most recipes and the USDA will call for 165.
Roasted Turkey Breast for lunch meat
1 turkey breast (2-3 lb) – organic or from local farm
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Favorite herbs
Preheat oven to 325. Put the turkey breast on a sprayed rack or broiler pan. Sprinkle with seasonings. Roast (uncovered) for about 2 hours. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
[1] “Meat consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies,” SC Larsson and A Wolk, International Journal of Cancer, Dec. 2006.
