I'll admit it: I'm a total snob when it comes to processed meats. I like the taste of hot dogs and salami as much as the next person, and I used to eat those foods frequently. But when I got pregnant 4 years ago, I became much more conscious of the foods I eat and what is in them. Now I'm a label reader, and if something has a long list of strange ingredients in it, I won't eat it. Consequently, I won't serve it to my kids, either.

My friends and family always raise an eyebrow when they see me take the pepperoni off of my kids pizza, or politely decline breakfast sausage at a family brunch. Then they chuckle because it's just "Jen being slightly crazy about the foods her kids eat." My kids don't even notice. If my daughter wants to try a piece of sausage, I'll give her a bite. But I'm not going to load up her plate with it, because I just don't believe that foods like that have much of a place in a healthy diet. New research suggests I might be right.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, concludes that the salt and chemical preservatives in processed meats can raise the risk of diabetes and heart attack. The research, which analyzed previous studies, said people should limit their consumption of these meats to one serving per week or less to reduce their disease risk. This includes foods like bacon, hot dogs, processed deli meats, sausage and salami.

According to researchers who reviewed nearly 1,600 studies, they were "looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes. They found that on average, each 1.8 oz (50 grams) daily serving of processed meat a day -- one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog -- was associated with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of developing diabetes." People who ate only unprocessed red meats had no higher than average risk for heart disease or diabetes.

The researchers found that unprocessed and processed meats contained similar amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol, but the processed meats had four times more sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives.

I don't think any of these conclusions are very surprising, but maybe my family will rethink their reaction when my kids and I "pass" on the breakfast sausage.

What do you think? Do you eat any processed meats?