Nutritionist ranks deli meats: which are safe to eat regularly

The deli counter at your local supermarket is a minefield of choice, and not all sliced meats are created equal. According to nutrition scientist Dr Joanna McMillan, what you pick up matters far more than the convenience factor might suggest—and the difference between a reasonable lunch and a dietary habit worth reconsidering often comes down to reading the label carefully.

The gold standard, McMillan explains, is meat that resembles what you'd prepare at home. Look for roasted chicken breast, carved beef, or sliced turkey—products that are essentially whole cuts of meat with minimal intervention. These options share a common thread: high meat content, short ingredient lists, low sodium, and reduced saturated fat. When you see words like "roast" or "carved" on the packaging, you're looking at something closer to actual food than industrial product.

Then there are the middle-ground options, which includes most of the hams you'll find in supermarket aisles. These meats have been processed and reformulated with additives like maltodextrin and gums to achieve that uniform sliceability. They're not harmful in small doses, but McMillan is clear: don't make them a daily habit. Once or twice a week is reasonable, provided they're paired with wholegrain bread, vegetables, and fruit. The school lunchbox packed with ham sandwiches five days a week crosses a line.

Below that tier sit the cured and processed meats—salami, pepperoni, cabanossi, bacon, mortadella, and devon. These should be treated as flavoring agents, not proteins. McMillan uses her own cooking as an example: when she makes prawn and chorizo pasta, a small amount of chorizo is divided among the whole family, with prawns and vegetables doing the real nutritional work. These meats are occasional, not regular.

The source of the meat—fresh from the deli counter or pre-packaged from the shelf—doesn't inherently change its nutritional profile. But McMillan has a preference: she wants to see meat sliced fresh in front of her rather than pre-cut slices that have been sitting exposed. With packaged products, the rules are stricter. Once opened, use the product by the date printed on the package, and don't rely on your nose or taste buds to determine safety. Bacteria can grow invisibly, and a sniff test offers no real protection.

The broader health concern is real. High consumption of processed meats does increase the risk of colorectal cancer, a fact McMillan doesn't minimize. But the risk isn't absolute or unavoidable. It can be substantially mitigated by increasing fiber intake and consuming whole grains from plant-based sources. The message isn't that deli meats are forbidden—it's that they require intention. Eat them thoughtfully, eat them sparingly, and balance them with the foods that actually protect your health.