Choosing the Best Cold Cuts

Presliced deli lunch meats provide protein and make for handy on-the-go eating. But before you stop at the deli counter, check out this shopping guide to learn which meats are safe and which ingredients you should avoid.

1. Choose lean meats that are low in saturated fat. Fresh turkey breast, boiled ham, and chicken breast are all great choices. Lean roast beef is also fine.

2. Avoid processed meats with fillers. Fillers are carbohydrate additives that are used to hold the meat together and reduce production costs. Look for modified food starch, wheat starch, and corn starch in the ingredient list and avoid products made with these fillers unless they appear near the end of the ingredient list. If this is the case, the amount of starch is miniscule.

3. Steer clear of meats with added sugar. like honey-baked ham or honey-roasted turkey. If you'd like to add more flavor to your deli meat, try spreading a little mustard or mayonnaise on it.

Source: SouthBeachDiet.com