Applegate Deli Meat is Free of Dairy, Antibiotics, and Nitrates

When I was a kid, I took deli meat for granted. My mom bought whatever was on sale for my lunchtime turkey sandwiches. But when I went strictly dairy free many years ago, it propelled me into the world of label reading. I quickly discovered that some deli meats actually contain dairy. And then came the concerns over nitrates, nitrites, and antibiotics. So I was elated to discover Applegate Deli Meat.

Applegate Deli Meat is Free of Dairy, Antibiotics, and Nitrates

All Applegate Deli Meat is dairy-free. In fact, it’s even made without gluten or any top allergens. Their entire product also boasts no antibiotics and no added hormones, and they shun the addition of nitrates and nitrites.

Applegate Deli Meat falls in two basic categories: Naturals and Organics. They are pretty much the same, except the organic line is organically raised and certified. They state that all of their deli meats are “humanely raised.” They include the following.

• Naturals Black Forest Ham
• Naturals Herb Turkey Breast
• Naturals Honey & Maple Turkey Breast
• Naturals Honey Ham
• Naturals Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
• Naturals Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
• Naturals Slow Cooked Ham
• Naturals Smoked Turkey
• Organics Black Forest Ham
• Organics Herb Turkey Breast
• Organics Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
• Organics Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
• Organics Roast Beef
• Organics Slow Cooked Ham
• Organics Smoked Chicken Breast
• Organics Smoked Turkey Breast

I’ve tried quite a few of these varieties, but remembered to take notes on the ones below!

Naturals Herbed Turkey

This twist on plain old turkey deli meat has a unique but delicious herb flavor that took my truly homemade sandwich (even the bread was baked from scratch) to another level. I loved that this meat wasn’t overly salty and had a nice clean taste. It was a 7-oz package, with each slice weighing in at one ounce. This made it really easy to portion, and the perfect thickness. Seriously, this turkey meat put those low quality brands to shame.

Ingredients: turkey breast, water. contains less than 2% of the following: sea salt, potato starch, salt, chicken broth, rosemary extract. coated with: black pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme.

Nutrition (per 2 slices): 50 calories, 0g fat, 1g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 12g protein.*

Organics Oven Roasted Chicken

Once again, I loved the clean taste of this meat. It seemed just a touch sweeter and saltier than the Herbed Turkey, but still delicious and well balance in flavor nonetheless. Rather than 1-oz slices, this 7-oz package contained smaller, circular slices of the meat. My main complaint was that the slices were very hard to separate and tended to fall apart. This was a bit of problem in dividing it up to make sandwiches, so I spread the smaller pieces out onto some homemade spelt tortillas and made roll-ups out of them.

Ingredients: organic chicken breast, organic chicken broth. contains less than 2% of the following: sea salt, organic potato starch, rosemary extract.

Nutrition (per 2 slices): 50 calories, 1.5g fat, 0g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 10g protein.*

Organics Roast Beef

This product really goes the extra mile. Beef is notorious for coming from cows that were treated with hormones, but not this product. The livestock at Applegate Farms is not treated with hormones or antibiotics and is grass fed – whether or not it is labeled as organic!  Like the other two, this was a top quality meat and it tasted like it; perfect for a French dip, or served on toasted sourdough with lettuce and tomatoes (as we enjoyed it). Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture for this meal!

Ingredients: organic grass-fed beef, water, salt, organic black pepper.

Nutrition (per 2 slices): 80 calories, 3g fat, 0g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 13g protein.*

More Facts on Applegate Deli Meat

Price: $4.99 to $5.99 per 6- to 7-ounce package

Availability: Applegate Deli Meat is sold at Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and other natural food stores. You might spot select varieties at other conventional grocers, too.

Certifications: Select varieties of Applegate Deli Meat are Certified Organic, Non-GMO Verified, and Whole30 Approved.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Applegate Deli Meat is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, and top allergen-free.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Applegate website at www.applegate.com.

*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy. 

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