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Original poster

Now that processed meats have been deemed carcinogenic by the World Health Agency...

354 replies

Whoknewitcouldbeso · 23/10/2015 08:12

Can I ask if you will be allowing your kids to eat sausages, ham, burgers etc? They are also warming about red meat in general so I can no longer feel virtuous when I cook homemade lasagne or shepherds pie.

My son loves sausages, I tend to buy the 98% pork ones but again, now thinking that I'm hurting him by letting him have sausages at all.

What are other people giving their children for dinner? I feel like I'm royally fucking up nowadays although I did make fresh cod goujons in a tempura batter two nights ago and he thought they were great. I must get at least one brownie point for the fish!

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Tinfoiled · 23/10/2015 08:18

Have they Shock? But tbh there are so many foods which are considered the work of the devil that it's just another one to add to the pile. Having red meat or sausages a couple of times a week as part of a balanced diet should be the way forward surely? Not feeding him red/processed meat as a child doesn't mean he won't leave home at 18 and spend the rest of his life inhaling steaks and pepperamis I guess?

dementedpixie · 23/10/2015 08:20

Fuck it. You can't eat anything these days!

Costacoffeeplease · 23/10/2015 08:28

And next week it will be 'eat red meat' - I ignore most of this type of food advice, it will be something else next week, then they'll contradict themselves, then the whole circus will start again

BrandNewAndImproved · 23/10/2015 08:34

This isn't a new thing. Processed meats have been known for ages to cause cancer and red meat isn't healthy in large amounts, the message has been out there for years it's not a flipflop sort of thing.

I hope they get rid of the sausages and burgers of the school menus now but I doubt they will.

Try a veggie lasagne or a quorn lasagne op. Lentil cottage pie is nice as well and Turkey mince is the healthier mince option.

Obs2015 · 23/10/2015 08:43

Agreed. Completely ignore. Next we'll be eating nothing but kale and edame beans. No, they'll be bad for us aswell.
Seriously op please stop worrying and get some perspective on this.

Mintyy · 23/10/2015 08:45

When you say "now that" - what do you mean?

I first became aware of this issue about 10 years ago, I think. Certainly when my children were small. We now have sausages about once a month, bacon similar, but I can't be doing with no ham, salami, Italian deli type stuff! Don't people in the Med have exceptionally good life expectancy?

Obs2015 · 23/10/2015 08:47

What's wrong with burgers and sausages? Off the school menu? Purlease.
quorn is fine, but some have been shown to be genetically modified rubbish, so let's not get too evangelical about it.
Moderation. A bit of everything is fine. I disagree with banning any foodstuff.
Eat everything, vegetables, meat, cake and chocolate. In moderation. Don't make any food a bad food.

Obs2015 · 23/10/2015 08:49

Processed meats cause cancer?
What like a pepperoni, chorizo, oh please!!

SortedForCheeseAndFizz · 23/10/2015 09:02

Nearly every day something else we should suddenly be scared to eat.

This constant nagging about food in the news has the opposite effect on me nowadays.

Years ago it was fat in food, but now that's not a problem after all apparently. All those years eating horrible margarine for no reason Hmm

GingerIvy · 23/10/2015 09:38

I can't say I stress overly much about it anymore. I try to make sure we eat a healthy balanced diet and that's about all I can do. New things keep cropping up all the time, and while I know they are trying to alert people to it, I think it has the opposite effect and people start tuning out anyway. I try to keep the processed items minimal without getting ridiculous about it. Not much else I can do.

Cat2014 · 23/10/2015 09:40

Is sliced turkey bad as well? Or is it just ham?

Original poster
Whoknewitcouldbeso · 23/10/2015 10:08

It said all processed meats I think. Let me find a link .....

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Onthepigsback · 23/10/2015 10:38

Oh for goodness sake. This is not news! I will continue to feed my kids these products in small quantities as I have always done while understanding that they are carcinogenic. Surely people already knew that all processed meats have a very very low recommended daily allowance. At the same time, as always, I will continue to try to buy fresh cooked ham over packaged ham and meats that done use sulphites etc. It's common sense but seriously, this is not news. My sister who is a gp has been telling all her patients for years that packaged meats should only be eaten in small quantities.

Onthepigsback · 23/10/2015 10:41

Yes chorizo, salami etc is not good. It's the preservatives and chemicals they use in processing all meats that are the problem. Maybe if you lived in Italy and bought directly from a local farm it would be fine but expect to see a much shorter use by date.

HeadDreamer · 23/10/2015 10:46

I've known this for years. DDs have them only very very rarely, except in school dinners. We don't eat sausages as a family. They don't have ham sandwiches. It's not that hard is it?

As for mince, you can use turkey.

megletthesecond · 23/10/2015 10:47

If possible eat mainly veggie and save your pennies for occasional organic meat. I don't think I ever buy processed meat tbh. Our sausages are veggie, I make lentil lasagne and bolognese and chilli has Quorn in.

Rosa · 23/10/2015 10:47

In italy the deli type stuff has one huge difference to the Deli syle stuff you get in supermarkets in ghe UK - phosphates and sulphates.... When in the Uk i wanted cooked ham i looked at every packet in a large sainbos and found 1. The guy working in the aisle had no idea what I was asking for. the same for turkey. At my deli counter in Italy I buy it sliced there and then - I always check the pre packaged stuff. Am suspicious of anything looking too pink or fake.As for red meat isn't supposed to be varied .?..Mind you nowadays I. Tend to pad out my meat sauce with more veg anyway.

Original poster
Whoknewitcouldbeso · 23/10/2015 11:44

I suppose I knew but it was quite shocking to see it so black and white. I actually don't eat much red meat myself but I do feed it to DP and DS as they like it. I'm going to have a real rethink if what I'm doing I think.

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Anastasie · 23/10/2015 12:45

I honestly don't know what to feed my children.

Are some types of ham Ok?

Salami is a no, right?

Life seemed much simpler when I was veggie but I am not very confident with children to feed as I was never much good at cooking.

HeadDreamer · 23/10/2015 13:00

But why does children have to have processed meat Anastasie. Sandwiches can be egg, hummus (or nut spreads), cheese, cold meat from left over roasts. Or you can pack non sandwiches. Cold salads?

Maybe I have it easy as DD1 only likes egg mayo, peanut butter banana and jam cream cheese sandwiches. She never liked processed meat.

I don't use sausages in cooking. What's wrong with just adding mince? Mince at least isn't highly processed.

I think the advice is to eat less red meat, less meat and less processed food (including processed meat).

Lemonfizzypop · 23/10/2015 13:06

Is bacon okay? Sad

Beebar · 23/10/2015 13:46

I thought beef, lamb, veal, venison, etc, in moderation is actually good for you??? Look up the nutrient content of these meats, they're pretty healthy. I only buy organic anyway

Beebar · 23/10/2015 13:47

Also, what is going to be left, that's ok to eat? Soon they'll be nothing