I understand nitrates are a no-no, but I'm not sure why. I went to a grocery store yesterday that has about 20 different brands of salami at the meat counter, none of which were nitrate free. Is there such a thing as nitrate-free salami? Is avoiding nitrates important, and if so, does anybody know why?

Hi Pam,

The best I can do is point you to this thread on Nitrates and Nitrites.

HTH!

Rosebud

Nitrates are often used to cure and process meats,such as bacon, salamis, and sausages, being the main culprits. Nitrates are known carcinogens.Nitrites or nitrates, preservatives commonly found in luncheon meats and hot dogs, are also possible headache provokers.I got the aforementioned off of Atkins site, and also this following bit of information: "What are nitrates and why are they bad for you? And where can I find meat/bacon/cold cuts without nitrates?
Nitrates and nitrites are added to meats (such as bacon and cured ham) and smoked fish to produce an appealing color and inhibit growth of germs and poisons. While these chemical compounds are not themselves carcinogens, they can yield byproducts such as nitrosamines, which have been implicated in higher rates of cancer--particularly colon and gastric cancer--in animals. For this reason, we feel it is prudent to limit your intake of foods containing nitrates or nitrites. You can find nitrate-free products in health food stores and some supermarkets. Fortunately, an increasing number of nitrate-free meat products are available in stores or by mail-order including Coleman Beef (800-442-8666). Your local butcher or health food store may also carry nitrate-free products or stock them for you upon request"
Hope that has helped to answer your question~ have a great day~

The Whole Foods chain of supermarkets carries nitrate free deli meats. I think it's a company-wide policy that they do not stock products with nitrates but I might be wrong about that. They also sell this wonderful thick bacon at the meat counter. Once I tried it, I will never go back to the regular stuff.

Phop, your profile says you're in Austin where there is definitely a Whole Foods. I'm guessing Central Market would also offer nitrate free meats. So you might try either of those. Also both stores have really helpful staff at their deli counters. You could just ask them for meats with no nitrates and no sugars and see what they come up with.

--Sarah

Okay, it seems that it certainly can't hurt to avoid the nitrates. Central Market was the first place I tried to find nitrate-free salami, and even with so many different brands, not one of them was nitrate free. Whole Foods is a good bet. I'll check there!

Huh, that really surprises me about Central Market. I had been there a couple of times (on a vacation to Austin last year) and it seemed like the nicest supermarket I'd ever been in. That section with all the dips and spreads and salads is amazing. I can't believe they don't sell nitrate-free meat!

In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that my boyfriend works for Whole Foods in North Carolina. But I shopped there long before he started working there.

While it has been proven that Nitrates, Nitrites can cause cancer, moderation, as always, is the key.
This way of eating is hard enough without having to worry about every nitrate I intake a day. Especially when I think about what those carbs were doing to me...
If you want to get down to it, everthing from air freshener to bug spray can cause cancer.
I think it is really a matter of what you want to worry about. I personally do not worry about nitrate intake. However, I also don't eat 5 pounds of bacon a day.
Moderation.
Good luck,
-Chad

Good point, Chad. I won't be eating much salami either. If I can find a good nitrate-free salami at Whole Foods, I'll buy it. If not, I don't think I'll sweat it.

I've never stopped eating nitrates...i tried nitrate free bacon and salami and it was disgusting..AND it doesn't keep very long...AMD it's expensive...not worth it

It does spoil faster but I didn't notice any taste problems ... if anything I think the fancy pants deli meats and bacon taste better, not worse. But everyone's taste is different


On a related question, why does the Atkins carb counter list prosciutto as including carb? I think they say it has about 1 gram per 6 oz. of prosciutto. But prosciutto is air cured. Which if I understand correctly, means there's nothing in it but pork. Where does the carb come from? That makes no sense to me at all. Prosciutto is too expensive for anything but a special treat, but I sure would like to know if it really has carb or not.

I have no idea...could have something to do with how long it's cured..i know it's months and months...could be because it's aged...it may 'ferment' slightly?? Totally guessing

It has none...

2 oz. prosciutto/120 cal./prot. grms=15/carb grms=0/fat grams= 7/ chol.mgs=50/sod.mgs=1080/fiber gms=0

I got this info out of Corinne T. Netzer's The Complete Book of Food Counts 5th edition

As you can see, the sodium in this is extremely high, anyone with a sodium restrictive diet, should be aware of this.

Yes it does:

Dr.Atkins: 6 oz = .9 carbs
Fitday: 6 oz = .5 carbs
Recipe book: 1 oz = .1 carb = 6 carbs per 6 oz

So i would count it as the higher number just to be safe Or go in the middle at say 7 carbs per 6 oz's

They're both "right." With today's labeling laws, if the count is under .5 per serving, you don't have to show it (that's where "hidden" carbs come from). However, the publications that show the actual carbs are more accurate.

The carbs probably come from the spices and will vary depending on the recipe. It's like the beef jerky I make, it's much lower in carbs than store bought because I don't put higher carb ingredients (like terriayaki sauce) into the marinade.

But Baconbabe, I wouldn't call it 7 grams carbs for six ounces since the highest amount listed for 6 ounces is less than 1 carb.

;-Deb

.1 is .10 then times 6 would be .60, which would be a little over 1/2 of a gram. I will go by Corinne T. Netzer's The Complete Book of Food Counts, as she is very reputable. All I done was post what I found in there and that is what was asked for... anyone can go by whatever sources they want.