Ham.
Erase the “h,” put a “d” in its place, and add an “n” after the “m” and you get the word that truly describes what I’m feeling after reading a new report about the dangers of eating ham.
My preschooler adores ham. So much in fact that I typically purchase a 7-pound ham every other week. It feeds our family for about three days (that includes leftovers for breakfast and lunch). I could purchase a smaller ham, but the larger ones are more economical. Plus, it doesn’t pay to bake a small ham twice a week when I can make a large one every other week.
Needless to say, the popular pork product is a frequent visitor on our eating table.
Not good, according to the World Cancer Research Fund. The group recently published a report stating that adults, who eat a lot of processed meat, are at a high risk of developing bowel cancer. What’s more, experts recommend that children should “view processed meat as an occasional treat, if it is eaten at all.”
GULP!
An occasional treat? Ham lollipops anyone?
What about chocolate-covered bacon on a stick? My daughter and I just shared one at the state fair a couple of weeks ago. It was terrible! We ended up tossing it in the trash after taking a couple of bites. Wasteful? Maybe, but I figured it was better to throw it away after taking two bites than throw it up later because I was afraid of wasting the whole dollar I spent on it.
I must be in denial about the cancer risk… because goodness knows it couldn’t possibly be that I am uneducated about processed meat.
After all, I am a total stickler when it comes to hot dogs and deli meat.
Hot dogs—UGH!!
I despise hot dogs and have never once considered feeding one to my daughter (though, I am fully aware that she has eaten them away from home). I’ve been schooled about the dangers of nitrates that are used or occur naturally during the curing process. And I am acutely cognizant of the fact that some markets, such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods offer selections of nitrate free or “no nitrates added” lunchmeat and hot dogs. Still, I never considered that ham does just as much damage to a person’s innards as a product made from pig snouts and unused meat scraps.
I’m kidding… about the pig snouts.
But, ham? My ham? The ham that I carefully baste with nutritious ingredients, including citrus and honey. The ham that I lovingly pair with healthy baby carrots, asparagus tips and fresh buns for dinner, and serve with homemade fruit salad and warm muffins for breakfast. How could my ham be lumped into the same cancer-causing category as (cough!) hot dogs?
What’s more, where do the results of the new health report leave parents who pack their children’s lunches each day? With an increasing number of schools banning peanut products because of allergies, what’s a mom left to pack her kid other than deli meat sandwiches?
No peanut butter, no deli meat, no hot dogs, no ham?
Damn!
Related Articles:
World’s Largest Preschooler Eats Like an Elephant
Kids, Parents, Fast Food and NON-Melting Ice Cream
Fast Food Kids’ Meals—How Healthy Are They?
Kids And Juice—Are They A Healthy Mix?
Is There Such A Thing As A Healthy Hamburger?