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Processed Meats:
By Using the simple P:E calculator, consider the low carbers" beloved bacon, pepperoni "chips", sausage, beef sticks, etc. The Hava scoring will also add the impact of hedonic factors like sugar and salt, but losing these low protein, high fat foods makes sense for weight loss. You can eat any foods, in any amount, but the P:E ratio informs how each may impact your goal. E.g. Pepperoni was .25 P:E, solidly in the Fat Gain range, only 1 point difference from its Satiety Score.

Dr Eenfeldt’s Twitter post this morning is quoted below about processed meat:

Quote:

🥓 Are processed meats good for weight loss?

They are usually pretty low-carb, but they still don't have a great reputation. One reason is the word "processed," which does not sound great.

Another reason is that, statistically speaking, people eating a lot of processed meat tend to be less healthy.

Correlation is not necessarily causation... but it can be.

It's interesting that from a satiety per calorie perspective, processed meats🌭 tend to score much lower than unprocessed meats.🥩

The reason is that processed meats are usually lower in protein, higher in fat, and sometimes higher in added carbs, as well as higher in sodium (fat plus salt together makes food more hedonic i.e. seductive).

Let's check out some scores. Higher scores mean a predicted higher satiety per calorie, meaning that the food tends to result in eating less while still feeling satisfied and happy and getting the nutrition you need.

In short, higher scores mean better weight loss foods that still keep you strong. Generally, above 50 should be pretty good from that perspective, the higher the more effective. Much lower than that is not helpful.

Pepperoni 24
Chicken nugget 27
Hot dog 26-38 (varies from brand to brand)
Sausage 28 (varies)
Salami 41
Bacon 44
Jerky 48
Serrano ham 67
Ham 71
Canadian bacon 73

Most unprocessed meats score in the 60s or 70s, so they're pretty much all solid options.

However, as you can see from the list above, processed meats are a mixed bag. Ham scores high, but hot dogs, sausages, and chicken nuggets... not so much.

The reason is that these are way lower in protein, much less nutritious, and higher in fat and carbs.

Know the effect your foods have, and it can help you reach your goals.

*X, formerly known as Twitter.