Meat .....avoiding processed

mirry

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this?

Last night I watched the programme about meat & it said processed meat is really bad for us. Something I already knew but didn't realise just how serious it was 😳.

The problem I have is my son is allergic to all nuts, fish,egg & beans.
So I'm wondering what on earth I could put in his sandwiches, if I reduce his bacon/ham consumption?

All I can think of is cheese, marmite (which he doesn't like) & chicken slices (if I cook it). Any help much appreciated

FairyPrincessk

Roasted veggies (try marinating in balsamic)
Avocado with crunchy veg such as peppers and sprouts
sliced roast meats such as beef or lamb
grilled aubergines with a nut free pesto
Banana (not my cup of tea but know someone who adores them on sandwiches!)
Grilled, marinated tofu (if he can have it)


variations on cheese:
cucumber and cream cheese
goats cheese with above roasted veggies
smoked cheese such as gouda with veggies
feta with grilled aubergines or courgettes etc.
Basil, Tomato and mozerella
Apples and swiss cheese
Brie and cranberry or brie and grape


If you're making meat for dinner, such as fajita chicken or a mince dish try it out, it might make a nice cold sandwich.

HTH

mirry

Thank you for your help. He gets a sore throat to bananas:(. So if I buy a gammon joint, a whole chicken, a whole turkey cook and slice them , then that's not processed? I could freeze them in slices and defrost for sandwiches when needed?

It's just I was told by a family member the gammon joints are processed, I'm finding it very confusing

themarsbargirl

It depends a bit how you define processed. Gammon, ham and bacon joints have all been cured, so exposed to some chemicals and a bit of salt but will be better than reformed ham slices, mrm hotdogs, salami, sausages etc where the fat content is a lot higher and you don't know exactly what has been mixed in.

Lizling

YUM to all the above And don't forget good old cheese and pickle!

How about things other than sandwiches? Salads, pasties, samosas...?

mirry

some fab ideas, thank you so much. I just looked on asda site and they have veg samosas & chicken samosas. I think chicken is ok, as on the programe they said white meat isn't a concern to them?
Do you think it would be ok?

mirry

All the pasties have meat or egg

mirry

It seems the chicken breast slices and the turkey breast slices have no curing,smoking or nitrates :T so seems a better choice 👍

maman

mirry wrote: »

All the pasties have meat or egg

I didn't see the programme myself so can't comment on what was said.


Would it be worth cooking your own pasties and freezing them if son likes them? You could put in unprocessed meat or make cheese and onion. It would be something different from sandwiches.


And if you choose to cook and slice a chicken you could just give him the drumsticks to eat as they are, or buy drumsticks which are cheaper per kg.


Some great ideas for sandwich fillings earlier.

dandy-candy

What exactly are your concerns about processed meat? If it's the amount of chemicals and preservatives used, then you might be also concerned about the amount of antibiotics and growth hormones routinely used in animal rearing which will also be present in fresh meat. Organic meat has less of these but is very expensive by comparison.
Even in a vegetarian diet there are concerns about chemical washes and pesticides, are you concerned about GM foods, how about the estrogen in soya etc etc.
It's a real can of worms when you start looking into it....

FairyPrincessk

Defining what is 'processed' can be tricky, although less so if you're only worried about what they were referring to in the television programme. They mean things like bacon, ham, gammon, sausages, cured meats and things of that sort. If you buy it and it is already salty and flavoured and if it didn't come off of the animal in anything resembling that shape then its probably considered processed.

Pre cooked chickens, roast beef and roast lamb aren't technically processed by this programme's definition, but cooking it yourself will be better as you can control what goes into it. Pasties may free of processed meats (in the terms of that programme), but if you want to be sure then just make them yourself--they're fairly easy and can be frozen individually.

Is your son having a cooked evening meal? If so, then he probably doesn't need meat at lunch, particularly if you give him an alternative source of protein.

What about salads like pasta, potato etc.? If he has cheese or yoghurt then he will be getting protein in. I'd also try varying the bread for sandwiches--bagels, wraps, pitas etc. can also make it more exciting.