Cut Out Cold Cuts on National Cold Cuts Day

Today is National Cold Cuts Day. But before you break out the salami sandwiches in celebration, keep in mind that we’re also in the middle of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

The link between processed meats and colorectal cancer isn’t new. And late last year, a scientific report from the World Health Organization should have delivered the final blow to hot dogs, bacon, pepperoni, and deli meat. The report listed these products as known human carcinogens, alongside asbestos and cigarettes. The authors cited evidence showing that one serving of processed meat per day—a couple slices of bacon for breakfast or a turkey sandwich for lunch—increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent. In fact, processed meats are so strongly linked to cancer that the World Cancer Research Fund warns that no amount is safe. Not a single slice.  

So why are turkey and ham sandwiches still staples on the school lunch line? In October, the Physicians Committee posed that question to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We filed a petition asking that the National School Lunch Program and National School Breakfast Program stop offering processed meat products to students.

Can it be done? One school in New York is proving that it can. P.S. 244Q, The Active Learning Elementary School, has not only ditched the deli meat, but has gotten rid of meat all together. This month, students are biting into chickpea salads, pesto pasta with broccoli, and teriyaki tofu for lunch. The verdict? Rave reviews from students, teachers, and parents. TALES principal Robert Groff reports that since making the switch to an all-vegetarian menu, students’ energy levels, attendance, and test scores have all improved. Click here to see TALES students’ reactions to a lunch line filled with rice, beans, plantains, salad, and apples.

Trying to cut the cold cuts out of your own lunches? Check out our Bacon, Sprout, Tomato Sandwich.