Sausage is a tasty breakfast and backyard BBQ staple, but it’s not known to be the healthiest. Sausage is generally already high in sodium, which is detrimental to your health as it increases blood pressure, raises the risk of a heart attack, stroke and kidney and it can cause weight gain. But in addition to high salt, many brands add even more, plus go heavy on fillers, preservatives, and questionable ingredients that might make you think twice before tossing them into your cart.
What Makes Sausage Brands Low Quality
-Too Much Sodium: Some salt is needed for flavor, but the American Heart Association suggests having no more than 2,300 milligrams a day and too many brands load up on the sodium.
-Additives and Preservatives: Ingredients that are added such as nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, and modified food starch puts the sausage into the ultra-processed category.
-Added Sugars: Sausages that have added sweeteners are delicious for breakfast, but they’re made with too much added sugars like corn syrup and maltodextrin.
-Mechanically Separated Meats: Mechanically separated meat is crafted from meat left on the carcasses once the main cuts have been removed. While it’s deemed safe to eat, it’s likely not the highest-quality meat.
-Too Many Ingredients: The longer the ingredient list with things you can’t pronounce or recognize, the more processed the sausage. Now that you know what to look for, here are seven sausage brands to steer clear of if you’re trying to eat cleaner or avoid overly processed meats.
Eckrich Smoked Sausage
Walmart
Nutrition: per serving 2 oz
Calories: 200
Fat: 17g (Saturated fat: 5g)
Sodium: 530mg
Carbs: 4g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 1g)
Protein: 6g
Eckrich is frequently criticized for its overly processed formula. Many of its sausages contain corn syrup, mechanically separated meats, phosphates, and MSG, giving them a rubbery texture and salty aftertaste, according to ChefStandards. Plus, it’s high in salt.
Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar
Walmart
Nutrition: per serving 1 link
Calories: 210
Fat: 19g (Saturated fat: 7g)
Sodium: 650mg
Carbs: 2g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 1g)
Protein: 9g
Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar is a crowd-favorite, but it’s made with processed cheese, high sodium, corn syrup, and nitrites — all red flags if you’re trying to avoid ultra-processed food.
Bob Evans Maple Pork Sausage Links
Bob Evans
Nutrition: per serving 3 links
Calories: 220
Fat: 18g (Saturated fat: 6g)
Sodium: 470mg
Carbs: 3g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 3g)
Protein: 11 g
Bob Evans Maple Pork Sausage Links are fully cooked links that are super convenient but come loaded with artificial flavors, preservatives, and sugar, making them more like sweetened meat snacks than a healthy way to start off the morning.
Bar-S Sausage
Bar-S
Nutrition: per serving 1 link
Calories: 120
Fat: 9g (Saturated fat: 2.5g)
Sodium: 680mg
Carbs: 4g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 2g)
Protein: 6g
Known for its rock-bottom pricing, Bar-S often uses mechanically separated meats, soy protein, corn syrup and flavor additives to keep costs low — but at the expense of quality and taste.
Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage
Walmart
Nutrition: per serving 1 link
Calories: 170
Fat: 15g (Saturated fat: 5g)
Sodium: 530mg
Carbs: 3g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 2g)
Protein: 7g
Hillshire Farm is a widely recognizable brand, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. It has a long list of ingredients that include enhancers like sugar, sodium phosphate, and potassium lactate. In addition, it contains mechanically separated turkey, meaning it’s highly processed and loses a lot of nutritional value.
Hormel Little Sizzlers Maple Flavored Links Pork Sausage
Walmart
Nutrition: per serving 1 link
Calories: 210
Fat: 19g (Saturated fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 580mg
Carbs: 2g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 2g)
Protein: 8g
Hormel Little Sizzlers Maple Flavored Links Pork Sausage are a nostalgic favorite, but they contain BHT, TBHQ, and MSG — preservatives and flavor enhancers that are considered questionable for frequent consumption and could be harmful for your health. A 2022 study published in Toxicology Report discovered TBHQ may have an “alarming” impact as a potential carcinogen or mutagen when people are exposed to high amounts over long periods of time.
Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage Links
Walmart
Nutrition: per serving 3 links
Calories: 180
Fat: 16g (Saturated fat: 5g)
Sodium: 410mg
Carbs: 2g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: <1g)
Protein: 7g
Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage Links are a cheap way to fill up, but your health could pay the price. They’re packed with artificial flavors and mechanically separated turkey, plus they’re high in salt.
