Lunch Meats: The Slice is Right - how to read labels

Slap two slices of meat between two slices of bread--there's no easier way to build a sandwich. But pick the wrong meat--say, Oscar Mayer Beef Bologna--and you're talking a third of a day's saturated fat and a quarter of a day's sodium. And that's not even counting the sodium in the bread.

How do you find the right slices? We use the label of Healthy Choice Deli Traditions Smoked Turkey Breast to explain what to look for.

(Any) Percent Fat-Free Means Low Fat

Claims like "97% fat-free" make a food sound low in fat, so the government allows them only on meats that are low in fat (no more than three grams of fat per serving). In contrast, meats labeled "lean" or "light" need not be low in fat:

* Lean means that the meat can be no more than ten percent fat. That works out to no more than six grams of fat for a two-ounce serving--what you'd get in Butterball Lean Oven Roasted White Turkey, for example. ("Extra lean" means no more than five percent fat, or three grams of fat in a two-ounce serving.)

* Light or Lite means that the meat has half the fat of its full-fat version. Oscar Mayer Light Bologna, for example, has eight grams instead of the usual 16 grams in a two-ounce serving.

Lower Fat means at least 25 percent less fat than usual, but the label has to give details. For example, Louis Rich Lower Fat Turkey Bologna says "50% Less Fat than the market leader for bologna" right on the front of the package. (Two ounces will still set you back eight grams of fat.)

Turkey Terms are Tricky

"Turkey breast" has less fat than "turkey." In fact, "turkey" can include skin (though "white turkey" means breast or wing meat). Most of the turkey we found was low in fat. Exceptions: A two-ounce serving--eight to ten thin slices--of Carl Buddig or Land O' Frost Turkey has six grams of fat.

And don't assume that chicken or turkey is automatically leaner than red meats. Two ounces of Bar-S Chicken Bologna has 14 grams of fat. Oscar Mayer Fat Free Bologna has zero.

"Healthy" Means Low-Fat and Less Sodium

It's no coincidence that most of our Best Bites are made by Healthy Choice. The government won't allow the word "healthy" on a label unless a serving of the food is low in fat (no more than three grams), low in saturated fat (no more than one gram), and not high in sodium (no more than 480 milligrams).

Luncheon meats that meet the fat cut-offs are a dime a dozen. Oscar Mayer Fat Free, Louis Rich Fat Free, and DAK Lookin' Lean lines are all low in fat and saturated fat. But few meats--even the lean or fat-free ones--meet the sodium cut-off for "healthy."

Not that 480 milligrams is rock-bottom low. There's no getting around the fact that luncheon meats are full of salt. And luncheon meat sandwiches are even saltier, since you're almost guaranteed an extra 300 mg of sodium from the two slices of bread. So it pays to minimize the damage by buying Healthy Choice meats. Other options: Carl Buddig Premium Lean or Butterball Fat Free Turkey Breast. Or try a vegetarian lunch "meat." (They tend to be lower in sodium, but may lead die-hard meat-lovers to put in an emergency call to the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.)

Start Here

Never check the calories, fat, or anything else on a "Nutrition Facts" label until you make sure that the serving size is what you eat. For most people, that's about two ounces (56 grams) of lunch meats, or two slices of ordinary bologna. (Deli restaurants usually serve closer to five ounces.)

The eight grams of fat and 510 mg of sodium in Oscar Mayer's Hard Salami, for example, may tempt you ... until you notice that the label uses a one-ounce serving. Double all the numbers and things don't look so good any more.

With paper-thin "deli-style" slices, it may take anywhere from five to ten slices to reach two ounces. That may make it easier for some people to settle for a little less meat. Just be sure to count your slices so you'll know what you're getting.

Of course, not everybody stops at two ounces. To make it easier, pile on the lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers, or other veggies and use the meat as a flavorful condiment.

Heart Claims Aren't Kidding

The American Heart Association only allows this "heart check" symbol on foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. But a food without the check could be just as good (the company may not have wanted to pay the Heart Association's fee). The claim below the check--which mentions heart disease--is a government-approved health claim that's only foods that are low in fat, fat, and cholesterol and are not high in sodium. It's good to look for those claims. (Just make sure you pack your bifocals. They're often in tiny type.)

Fat-Free Means Calorie Savings

Many people are now convinced that fat-free and low-fat foods have as many calories as their regular counterparts. That may be true for sugary foods like cakes, cookies, and ice cream, but it's not true for meats. Two slices of regular Oscar Mayer Bologna pack 180 calories. Two of the same-size slices of Oscar Mayer Fat Free Bologna have only 40 calories.

Nitrites Are Nice To Avoid

Try to avoid them, but it's not the end of the world if you can't. Sodium nitrite is a preservative that adds flavor and color to most lunch meats. It may react with chemicals in food or in the stomach to form tiny amounts of cancer-causing nitrosamines. But the sodium ascorbate (vitamin C) or its cousin, sodium erythorbate, that companies add to their cold cuts diminishes the already-small risk. So does a glass of orange juice, piece of citrus fruit, or other vitamin-C-rich food you have with your sandwich.