Cold cuts are among the most common foods in our daily lives, but also the most misunderstood from a nutritional standpoint and often overrated . A pack of prosciutto or bresaola allows you to whip up a sandwich, a piadina, or a quick post-work or workout meal in just a few minutes. They're easy to store, popular with almost everyone, and often provide a quick solution when time is short . It's no surprise, then, that cooked and raw ham, mortadella, speck, salami, and bresaola have become a permanent fixture in the eating habits of many people, including athletes.
Cold cuts are part of the so-called processed meats, that is, meats transformed by salting, smoking, curing, or adding preservatives , and then served in thin slices. Many are made from pork, but they can also be prepared with beef, wild boar, roe deer, horse, donkey, venison, and goose, or with white meats, such as turkey breast and roast chicken.
Consume in moderation
In recent years, processed meats have been the focus of numerous scientific studies. The World Health Organization, through the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has included processed meats in the group of foods associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. This doesn't mean that eating a slice of ham is poisonous or automatically dangerous , but that frequent and high consumption can increase the risk in the long term. As is often the case in nutrition, the difference lies in quantity, frequency, and the overall context of the diet.
The main problem isn't just the meat itself, but also the salt, nitrite, nitrate, and other substances that can form during certain processing steps . Furthermore, many cured meats, especially the fattier and tastier ones, contain high amounts of saturated fat and calories . Consider salami, mortadella, or pancetta, which are very tasty but should be consumed in moderation, especially by sedentary individuals or those with cardiovascular risk factors.
The qualities of bresaola
At the same time, however, it would be unfair to completely demonize this category of foods. In a balanced and varied diet, some cured meats can have a place, especially for athletes . Products like bresaola or certain lean hams are practical sources of high-biological-value proteins . They provide essential amino acids useful for maintaining and recovering muscle mass and are often easily digestible, a useful feature when a quick meal is needed before or after physical activity.
Bresaola , for example, is one of the leanest cured meats available. It has a relatively low fat content and a good protein density: a few slices can provide a significant amount of protein without weighing down the meal. For this reason , it's often used in simple dishes like bread and bresaola, salads with parmesan and arugula, or to replace a portion of quality protein when you don't have a kitchen available.
A post-workout sandwich
Sodium content , often seen exclusively as a flaw, can take on a different meaning for athletes. Those who engage in intense activity and sweat a lot lose a significant amount of mineral salts, especially sodium. In these cases, during hot weather or on very long bike rides, a moderate amount of sodium consumed through diet isn't necessarily a problem and can even help restore fluid balance. Obviously, this is especially true for healthy, active athletes : in the presence of hypertension or other pathologies, salt management must still be personalized.
After a workout or while traveling, when you don't have the time or desire to cook, a sandwich with a quality cold cut, accompanied by vegetables , can be a concrete and better solution than many industrial snacks rich in sugars and low-quality fats.
This doesn't mean that cured meats should become the main source of protein in your diet, but they can be included occasionally. Fish, eggs, legumes, dairy products, fresh meat, and plant-based proteins should continue to play a central role in your diet . Choosing cured meats without excessive additives, lower in salt and fat, can help improve the overall nutritional profile of these processed meats, although it's important to limit their consumption to specific occasions.
