Processed meats — like lunch meat, hot dogs and sausage — are generally considered unhealthy. They’re high in calories, low in protein and — in the case of mechanically separated meats — use undesirable parts of the animal as filler. Canned and packaged meats often contain nitrates or nitrites, which studies link to several cancers. Even minimally processed cold cuts include preservatives to prevent spoilage after being sliced.
“Fatty, processed luncheon meats like bologna, salami and pepperoni have large amounts of saturated fat and sodium, both of which have been linked to cancer, obesity and heart disease,” Zumpano shares. In fact, processed meats are actually considered carcinogenic.