RANKED: The best and worst deli meats for you

Hollis Johnson

When it comes to making the perfect sandwich, we all have our favorites.

But how healthy for you is that turkey club or Italian sub?

We decided to do some number crunching to determine which deli meat was high enough in nutrients and low enough in sodium and fat to be crowned the ultimate healthiest lunch meat.

For the purposes of a constant comparison, we looked specifically at Boar's Head meats bought at our local grocery store. Still, the nutrition for each meat shouldn't vary too much based on the brand.

No. 8: Salami

Hollis Johnson

Unfortunately, salami is the worst meat on the list as far as nutrition goes. At 110 calories for just a 1-ounce — about three slices — serving, it has some of the highest fat, cholesterol, and sodium of the lunch meats.

Plus, like many of the meats on this list, it's cured. Several recent studies have suggested a link between high daily consumption of cured meats and certain types of cancer.

No. 7: Bologna

Hollis Johnson

Beef bologna doesn't fare a whole lot better than salami, though it is cholesterol-free. It's still high in fat and sodium, and has 150 calories per 2-ounce serving — about two slices.

No. 6: Pastrami

Hollis Johnson

A New York deli staple, pastrami doesn't fare much better than its processed-meat counterparts, though it is lower in calories at 80 per serving. One 2-ounce serving — about two slices — has a quarter of your daily sodium intake and 11% of your daily cholesterol, though it also has a quarter of your recommended daily protein intake.

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