Confess to eating things you shouldn't?

[Anonymous]

I drink raw milk, every day...Yum.

I know where it comes from and I trust the farmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are way too paranoid.

I totally agree....I use a panini maker to heat up my sandwiches at home but I would feel safe if Potbellies heated up the sandwich and it was hot.... Going over the top with the lists isn't something I feel is necessary. They change the lists every year or so anyway...I am on my third list/child now lol....

[Anonymous]

just had feta in my salad. and it tasted better b/c of it.

[Anonymous]

Anyone else feel like the stupid deli meats rule makes you eat nutritionally crappy lunches that are probably worse than just eating the stupid deli meat? It was much worse when I was working b/c I ate lunch out more - now I'm home with my son and can shop/plan my diet better and almost never eat lunch out. But for example, driving home from vacation the other day we stopped at Subway, and all the choices that seemed reasonably healthy were off limits so I ended up getting a meatball sub b/c I felt like I had to eat something hot (note, the idea of 'hot' cold cuts turns my stomach, so the heating up your sandwich thing doesn't really help me). Anyway, just venting... the listeria risk freaks me out even though it is miniscule, so I'll continue to keep the rule, but it just pisses me off.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone school me as to what the real rule on hot dogs is? I know they aren't very good for you due to the nitrites, but as far as being 'risky', you would have to eat them raw or undercooked for them to be a problem like in the deli meat category, right? I'll eat one occasionally at a cookout because I only like them grilled within an inch of their lives. Saw some PPs mention them - are they forbidden for some reason I don't know about, or is just that they are essentially junk food?

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the "don't eat soft cheese" rule is a myth. What you're not supposed to eat is *unpasteurized* cheese (or unpasteurized anything else---though as one PP notes, you can certainly go for it if you trust the source). Back in the day, most soft cheeses were unpasteurized. Today, most cheese of all varieties in the U.S. is pasteurized---and you're as likely to find raw cheddar cheese as you are to find unpasteurized feta or brie. Most cheese sold by bigger grocery chains, Costco, TJ's, etc. is pasteurized for a longer shelf life anyway.

So, eat your brie, goat cheese, and feta, and don't worry about it in the slightest! (The labels will always say if it's made with pasteurized milk or not---but really, I do check labels and I have yet to encounter one that isn't, except for a few artisan cheeses.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, the "don't eat soft cheese" rule is a myth. What you're not supposed to eat is *unpasteurized* cheese (or unpasteurized anything else---though as one PP notes, you can certainly go for it if you trust the source). Back in the day, most soft cheeses were unpasteurized. Today, most cheese of all varieties in the U.S. is pasteurized---and you're as likely to find raw cheddar cheese as you are to find unpasteurized feta or brie. Most cheese sold by bigger grocery chains, Costco, TJ's, etc. is pasteurized for a longer shelf life anyway.

So, eat your brie, goat cheese, and feta, and don't worry about it in the slightest! (The labels will always say if it's made with pasteurized milk or not---but really, I do check labels and I have yet to encounter one that isn't, except for a few artisan cheeses.)

I heard pasteurized soft cheese are only "flash pasteurized" and that isn't sufficient, which is why the prohibition continues. Not sure if that is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else feel like the stupid deli meats rule makes you eat nutritionally crappy lunches that are probably worse than just eating the stupid deli meat? It was much worse when I was working b/c I ate lunch out more - now I'm home with my son and can shop/plan my diet better and almost never eat lunch out. But for example, driving home from vacation the other day we stopped at Subway, and all the choices that seemed reasonably healthy were off limits so I ended up getting a meatball sub b/c I felt like I had to eat something hot (note, the idea of 'hot' cold cuts turns my stomach, so the heating up your sandwich thing doesn't really help me). Anyway, just venting... the listeria risk freaks me out even though it is miniscule, so I'll continue to keep the rule, but it just pisses me off.

Ha, ha, yes, I have had a meatball sub at Subway for precisely that reason, but I have to say I appreciated the excuse to have a meatball sub. I knew a girl who ate pizza at work for lunch everyday because of the deli meat thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I heard pasteurized soft cheese are only "flash pasteurized" and that isn't sufficient, which is why the prohibition continues. Not sure if that is true.

Dunno about flash-pasteurized cheese, but cheeses that are made with pasteurized milk are fine---the milk goes through the same pasteurization process as all other milk. This may be different from cheese that is pasteurized after the fact, though---I don't know that I've ever encountered that. I'd look for pasteurized milk in the ingredients if you want to be sure, though. The feta and goat cheese we get from Trader Joe's both have that and my OB says that's fine.