Meat .....avoiding processed

CathyP72

Double thumbs up to good old cheese and pickle.

adouglasmhor

dandy-candy wrote: »

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....

There is no oestrogen in soya.

Jackop

I saw the program too, the general conclusion seemed to be to cut down rather than cut out. So make a bigger than usual roast on a Sunday with any unprocessed meat (topside, chicken, lamb leg, pork loin etc). Have the leftovers for the next 3 days, after 3 days it might start to go south but im happy to let to go 4 if it smells and looks ok. A veggie option to cover Thursday and a bacon/ham treat on a Friday.

This is usually what I do anyway as I do enjoy my meat but the Horizon programme has definitely made me think twice.

On a side note, I usually go off use by dates to see how processed something is. The longer the life the more processed it has been surely? In terms of packaged meat at least.

Gigervamp

dandy-candy wrote: »

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.

Growth hormones are not allowed in the UK. They are used extensively in the USA, but not here.

adouglasmhor

Antibiotics are very commonplace especialy in poultry though.

lostinrates

adouglasmhor wrote: »

There is no oestrogen in soya.

Soya and some other plants are phytooestrogenic.
Neither are bad, in the right situation. They might be bad in excess.

I have found limiting soya and other things , ( chick peas ) can help me. My husband finds he put on muscle differently. Neither make us cut them out completely, but we are are aware, like meat, and processed meat, of the proportion they take in our diet.

adouglasmhor

lostinrates wrote: »

Soya and some other plants are phytooestrogenic.
Neither are bad, in the right situation. They might be bad in excess.

I have found limiting soya and other things , ( chick peas ) can help me. My husband finds he put on muscle differently. Neither make us cut them out completely, but we are are aware, like meat, and processed meat, of the proportion they take in our diet.

I know a little about phytooestrogens they are not the same as you know as oestrogen. I more or less live on chick peas much of the time and use soya milk and have had no problems, I know others can be more sensitive to things.

Mojisola

dandy-candy wrote: »

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.

Gigervamp wrote: »

Growth hormones are not allowed in the UK. They are used extensively in the USA, but not here.

And there are statutory withdrawal times after livestock has been given antibiotics before they can be slaughtered so the meat you buy shouldn't have antibiotics in it (there will always be a few rogues in any industry who don't follow the rules but they are rare exceptions).

mirry

Thanks everyone. I know we can get hung up on what's in our food, but the programme was a real eye opener. I already avoid soya, only because I noticed it gave me bad pmt. But I think the general rule is everything is ok in "moderation".

I didn't like on the programme how they rubbed nitrate into the bacon and on the packet it said "TOXIC in large quantities :eek:. And how when they gave it in large doses to mice it killed them:(.

I'm going to make some pasties I've decided, any one got a good recipe for the filling? I've got some butternut squash I could put in it.

Mojisola

mirry wrote: »

I didn't like on the programme how they rubbed nitrate into the bacon and on the packet it said "TOXIC in large quantities :eek:. And how when they gave it in large doses to mice it killed them:(.

So is water!

As an adult, you would have to consume 5g or more before you died - you won't get that from a couple of slices of ham.