We can’t lie; processed meat products are probably in a lot of our daily diets. It doesn’t have to continue to be that way, though. There are steps you can take to help reduce and even eliminate them from your diet. It starts by going to the grocery store and reading the labels of what you are buying. Make sure to check the ingredient lists for words like nitrate, nitrite, salted, or cured. These words mean the meat is processed and should be avoided. Although some may be labeled “uncured,” they can still have nitrate and nitrites in them. 

It may seem simple, but you also need to be educated. It sounds confusing, but you will also want to skip nitrate-free meats. That is because although these meats may say nitrate-free, it doesn’t mean they are; they just may have fewer nitrates and nitrites. When you eat foods that are labeled nitrate-free, your stomach turns some nitrates into nitrites. Then some of these nitrites can then form cancer-causing substances in your body. So don’t let labels fool you.