MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 21WORDS: ALEX HARRIS | PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE | JAMON SERRANO COURTESY OF LIDL | *CO-FOUNDER OF SUPPLEMENT COMPANY EQUI LONDO
N EQUILONDON.COM
The headlines that surround this
stubborn nutritional taboo are
invariably ham-fisted. Crudely
refracted through the tabloid prism,
bacon is bad because nitrates cause
cancer. But neither the National
Research Council nor the American
Cancer Society believe that nitrates
and nitrites precipitate the big C.
If they did, it’d follow that nitrate-rich
celery would be on the same shitlist.
The reality is more nuanced than
that. Both the quality of ingredients,
along with the technique used in
curing, affect the nutritional outcome.
So learn to read the label. Highly
processed meats, such as mortadella
or bologna, can contain fillers and
proteins from various animals, says
Phil Lempert from trend research
group Supermarket Guru.THE BIG
QUESTIONARE ALL CURED MEATS
UNQUESTIONABLY BAD FOR YOU,
OR CAN THEY EVER BE HEALTHY?
Q
FLAVOURLESS
HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS
HAVE BEEN CUREDTOM, WANSTEADASK MH
SLICING THROUGH THE BALONEY
‘Sectioned and formed’ meats
undergo less processing but still
contain some non-meat additives.
Meanwhile, whole cuts are just meat
plus spices – the holy grail of ham.
Lempert’s rule? If it looks like it was
cut from an animal, it likely was. So
not only does that put well-hung
jamón back on the menu, it means
there’s no reason why gammon and
eggs can’t be a palatable protein fix.
Yes, salt can be an issue, even if its
faults tend to be overblown, so lean
chicken or fish are still your staple
fare. Just don’t be afraid to make
a pig’s dinner of it once in a while.BEST BUYPOOR PICKi/ FRESH HAM
If sliced from
newly smoked
pork – with no fatty edges- ham can be a lean treat
with antioxidant selenium
and plentiful B vitamins.
ii/ PROSCIUTTO
Look for quality
meat, rubbed
with spice and fermented.
However, the more aged
cuts are high in histamine,
linked to migraines.iii/ SALAMI
This cured and
air-dried pork
can be up to 50% fat and
often contains additives
and preservatives. Keep
Meat Feasts to a minimum.CHOICE CUTS
Top nutritionist Alice
Mackintosh* tells you
how to pig out wisely