[sarahmae1]

I grew up on junk food, and over the past few years I have been slowly trying to change and improve the way my family eats. We've made some progress, but are held back some because of the expense. Anyway, I have a silly basic question about deli meats and cheese for those of you who do eat meat and dairy.

: Please keep in mind that we can't afford organic, and live in a rural community with only small local grocery stores (for the most part).

- Is it okay to buy cheese that is already sliced or shredded? Or do you just buy the blocks of cheese? Any good 'brands' or types of cheese to use for sandwhiches?
- Deli meat for sandwhiches - yes or no? What about pre-packaged deli meat (rather than from the counter)? Again, brands or types... what should I be looking for?

Thanks for anyone who can help!

 

[VikingKvinna]

Hi Sarah,

I am like you -- grew up eating poorly and only recently have begun to develop better eating habits. So congrats, and take heart -- after a while, the good stuff really does begin to taste better than the bad stuff!

As to your questions: if you are on a limited budget, you'll do better to buy your cheese in large blocks and shred or slice it yourself. You pay extra for those fancy bags of pre-shredded cheese. We buy the generic, store-brand stuff or the name-brand if it's on sale (one of the name brands usually is). But make sure you're buying 100% cheese, and not some kind of "cheez" like Velveeta or the sandwich slices that are only 10% milk. When you find a kind you like on sale, buy lots and freeze it! People don't think of freezing cheese, but it freezes wonderfully.

We eat deli meat, too, occasionally (not any more since I'm preggo, but generally, yes). Again, compare the prices on the pre-sliced stuff. Since we only eat this once in a while, as a treat, I don't really know brands too well. But something you could consider is getting a turkey breast and roasting it at home, then slicing it into smaller portions and freezing them. Same for roast beef. That'd be economical, and probably better for you than some of the brands with additives and preservatives -- you'd know what you were getting, kwim? But of course more labor-intensive.

Sorry I'm not more help in terms of the brands! Hope this helps some anyway.

~nick

 

[cjr]

The cheese is the same whether it's pre-sliced or not. It's cheaper by the block, but if you're not eating enough it will go bad. It's probably better to buy small blocks if you're not consuming a large amount.

Deli meat is a once a month treat around here. Not because of the expense, but because of the ingredients. We used to eat ham/roast beef/turkey everyday. Then I started paying more attention to the ingredients of the foods my family ate. Deli meats are full of nitrates and preservatives, and salt...lots and lots of salt. You are better off to just buy a cheap roast and slow cook it yourself to slice for sandwhiches. You can do the same with chicken and turkey too.