Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most crucial things you can do to keep your overall well-being in great shape—and it’s a particularly important step to take if weight loss is your goal. Unfortunately, many of the most delicious foods we eat on a regular basis could be contributing to inflammation and making it difficult to achieve your dream body, especially when it comes to belly fat. Processed meats, in particular, could be holding you back from your weight loss goals.
To shed some light on a few processed meats that may contribute to inflammation and weight gain, we spoke to registered dietitian Catherine Gervacio, nutrition writer for Living.Fit. She told us that three of the worst, most common ones to look out for are bacon, deli meat, tubed meats like hot dogs and sausages, and salami. Learn more about the risks of each below.
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1. Hot dogs and sausages
While tube-shaped meats might be delicious, they're typically not a great idea when it comes to your health—especially if you want to lose weight. Gervacio explains that options like hot dogs and sausages "have a mix of fat and meat to make them more flavorful. This means it contributes a lot of calories from fat." But it isn't just the fat content that makes these meats an unhealthy option. Gervacio warns that many of them also contain nitrites, "which are linked to cancer." Overall, it's best to cut these processed options out of your diet to improve your health. "Instead of processed meats, choose ground, lean meats and cook them with available seasonings," Gervacio recommends. "A 90% ground beef is just as tasty as a sausage when cooked with a sausage seasoning available in the market." Good to know!
2. Deli meats
As much as we love a tasty ham sandwich made with lunch meat, Gervacio warns that processed deli meat is another food you might want to cut out if you're after a flatter belly. "Lunch meats and corned beef also have a high amount of fat in them," she says, noting that these meats are highly processed, which means they've lost much of the nutrients they would otherwise offer, like B vitamins and vitamin C. "This jeopardizes healthy weight loss as the needed nutrients for daily function and metabolism can be affected," Gervacio explains. "It is best to still choose lean meats that are fresh off the market, have no visible fats, and are cooked with little or no fat." Got it!
3. Bacon
The extremely high fat content of bacon makes this meat a serious red flag for anyone looking to lose weight. In fact, Gervacio points out that bacon is "actually considered fat due to the ratio of fat to the actual meat." She says that a single slice contains a whopping 10.4 grams of fat, offering only 3.84 grams of protein. "The fat contributes to a high caloric amount of 110 calories, which is already equivalent to 2 slices of bread," she warns. Yikes! If you love a good old bacon egg and cheese sandwich but don't want to put your health goals at risk, Gervacio offers some better-for-you alternatives: "Tofu bacon or plant-based bacon is a healthy alternative since it has no cholesterol and has a taste similar to bacon," she suggests.
4. Salami
We're big fans of a good charcuterie board, but that sad truth is that overindulging in cured meats like salami is a bad idea for anyone looking to shed some pounds or avoid weight gain. Salami, like many processed meats, is high in sodium and saturated fats. "High-calorie density and sodium lead to bloating and fat gain," Gervacio points out. She suggests going for plant-based alternatives. "Plant-based sausages made from vegetables, legumes, or grains are typically lower in fat and calories and offer a good source of fiber. Many brands offer plant-based sausages that are tasty and have a similar texture to traditional salami." Got it!
