It’s no secret that maintaining a balanced diet is one of the most important parts of living a healthy life and losing weight, and that means that in addition to adding nutritious foods to your plate, you should also cut out highly processed options. Processed foods that contain fat and calories without offering any nutritional value put you at risk for a wide range of health problems, and should be especially avoided by anyone looking to lose a few pounds. And while you’re probably already aware of the more obvious culprits, like fast food and French fries, there may still be some sneaky foods making their way onto your plate, including a variety of processed meats.
To shed light on some of the worst processed meats to cut out of your diet if you want to lose weight, we spoke with a registered dietitian. catalina gervacionutrition writer for live.fit. He told us that three of the worst and most common to look out for are bacon, cold cuts, and tubed meats like hot dogs and sausage. Learn more about the risks of these meats below!
1. bacon
The extremely high fat content of bacon makes this meat a serious red flag for anyone looking to lose weight. In fact, Gervacio notes that bacon “is actually considered fat because of the ratio of fat to actual meat.” She says that a single slice contains a whopping 10.4 grams of fat, offering just 3.84 grams of protein. “Fat provides a high caloric intake of 110 calories, which is already equivalent to 2 slices of bread,” she warns. Oh! If you love a good bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich but don’t want to compromise your health goals, Gervacio offers some better alternatives for you: “Plant-based tofu or bacon is a healthy alternative since it’s cholesterol-free and it tastes similar to bacon,” he suggests.
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2. Sausages
As much as we love a tasty deli ham sandwich, Gervacio cautions that processed meat is another food you may want to cut out if you’re looking for a flatter tummy. “Deli meats and corned beef also have a lot of fat,” he says, noting that these meats are highly processed, meaning they’ve lost much of the nutrients they otherwise offer, such as B vitamins and C. “This jeopardizes healthy weight loss as nutrients needed for daily function and metabolism can be affected,” explains Gervacio. “It’s best to continue to choose lean meats that are fresh from the market, have no visible fat, and are cooked with little to no fat.” I understand!
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3. Hot dogs and sausages
While tube-shaped meats can be delicious, they’re generally not a good idea when it comes to your health, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Gervacio explains that options like hot dogs and sausages “have a mixture of fat and meat to give them more flavor. That means it provides a lot of calories from fat.” But it’s not just the fat content that makes these meats an unhealthy choice. Gervacio warns that many of them also contain nitrites, “which are related to cancer.” In general, it is best to eliminate these processed options from your diet to improve your health. “Instead of processed meats, choose lean, ground meats and cook them with available seasonings,” recommends Gervacio. “A 90% ground beef is just as flavorful as a sausage when cooked with a commercially available sausage seasoning.” Good to know!
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The bottom line
In general, filling your body with processed foods is never a good idea, as they can seriously affect your health. Choosing whole, nutritious foods is always the best way to go, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Of course, indulging in a hot dog or a few slices of bacon now and then won’t cause you to gain an excessive amount of weight overnight, but overeating these foods can definitely be detrimental to your weight loss process. of weight. So whenever possible, you should trade these options for lean meats or plant-based proteins. You may be surprised at what a difference it can make!
