What is considered processed meat?

[Qulenci]

I really like to cook manydishes with ground meat, not steaks, and I have seen here many timesyou mention that processed meats are really bad for your health. Isusing processed meat for different dishes, including home madeburgers considered as processing it?

 

[Lev Butlerov]

When we say processed meat, is the one that has additives in it, that has been treated somehow, and many times, it is the meat they just grind together in order to use the left overs like ligaments, skin, and that kind of stuff.

If you got the ground meat from a steak, and you cook it yourself, that is not considered as a processed food, at least not for me.

 

[Qulenci]

Oh, I see now! I though that processed meant like altered, fried, cooked, and so on. So if I can change the meat in form but without adding bad stuff that won't be processing ) Great to know that!

 

[stevesmi]

bacon, sausage, cold cuts, etc. processed meats are very bad man.

 

[SteveMobsterG]

90% (but not all) of the stuff from a deli counter is processed. Whether it's salted beef, salamis and so on. Bacon is (chems, inc salt, are added during the curing). But a slice of chicken, beef etc from a roast piece of meat is ok.

 

[muskate]

The simplest definition -

Anything that has more then one more in the ingredient list, is a processed meat.

It's always best to stick with single ingredient foods. Lean poultry, wild caught fish, lean beef etc.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

Ground meats can be great to add to your diet. You don't want to eat them every day but they will not be a "processed" meat. Stay away from things like sliced packaged deli meats, bacon, hot dogs.