5 health benefits of all natural sausages

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March 18, 2022

Sausage is a staple food in many households. Why? It’s affordable, convenient, versatile, and tasty. Could you ask for more? Yes, you can.

Sausage often gets a bad rap and is labeled as “processed meat”. Sure, this might be true for conventional sausages, which often have fillers and additives and “natural flavors” and nitrates… and the list goes on.

But, not all sausage is bad (I mean, it’s been around for thousands of years). I recommend sourcing all-natural sausages, not only natural in how the animals were raised but also the ingredients added during sausage making. Always read ingredients carefully on sausages.

High quality natural sausages are good for your health. Here’s some general nutrition data.

On average, one regular sized 2.6oz beef or pork sausage link contains:

260 calories
25g total fat
7.6g saturated fat
550mg sodium
15g protein
0g carbohydrates (when there’s no added fillers like eggs or breadcrumbs)
0g fiber (when there’s no added fillers like eggs or breadcrumbs)
0g added sugar (when there’s no added sugar or maple syrup)
0.52mg Vitamin B3 (26% DV)
0.52mg Vitamin B5 (10% DV)
0.39mg Vitamin B6 (30% DV)
0.,54mcg Vitamin B12 (23%)
15mcg selenium (27% DV)
33iu Vitamin D (4% DV)
286mg potassium (5% DV)
1.3mg iron (8% DV)
2.25mg zinc (15% DV)

That’s the data on conventional sausages. I can only imagine that the numbers would be better for sausages made from regeneratively farmed meat and with great recipes.

Let’s break it down with a bit more detail. Here are the top 5 health benefits of eating sausage.

1- Sausage is packed with protein.

Your body needs protein to make and repair cells. Protein also helps fight infection, build and contract muscles, keep body fluids balanced, clot blood and carry fats, vitamins, minerals and oxygen throughout the body.

Protein needs change from body to body, varying on age, activity level, and a number of factors. But, it’s generally recommended that 10-35% of your caloric intake should be protein.

To maintain optimal health, it’s best to eat protein throughout the day. How about some salt and pepper beef breakfast sausage with eggs for breakfast, chorizo sausage and veggie stir fry for lunch, and Italian sausage and peppers for dinner ;)

2- Sausage is high in B vitamins.

B vitamins are essential to your health. They help a variety of enzymes do their jobs, ranging from releasing energy from carbohydrates and fat to breaking down amino acids and transporting oxygen and energy-containing nutrients around the body. They can help prevent anemia, lower cholesterol, ease arthritis, boost brain function, improve your skin, hair, and eyes… B vitamins do so much!

B vitamins are generally not found in plant foods, unless they’re fortified. On the contrary, one link of sausage can naturally provide around 40% of the daily value of bioavailable vitamin B12.

3- Sausage is high in selenium.

Selenium is a nutrient which is vital to your health. It’s important for reproduction, thyroid function, DNA productions, and protecting the body from free radical damage. It can boost your immune system and can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Pork and beef contain plenty of selenium, especially when farmed on regenerative pastures. One serving of sausage contains at least 15 mcg of selenium, which is 27% of the recommended daily value.

4- Sausage contains iron.

Iron is an essential mineral. It’s important for hemoglobin production, which supports red blood cell function. Additionally, iron is a component of myoglobin, a protein your muscles use to store oxygen, which is necessary for all muscle function.

Sausage contains about 1.3 mg of iron, which is about 8% of the daily recommended value.

5- Sausage is a great way to incorporate a variety of healthy foods into your diet.

Fiber, vegetables, and fruit are commonly lacking in the modern American diet. Sausage is a great vehicle for getting more healthy foods into your family’s bodies.

Skewer kielbasa beef sausage grillers with vegetables and grill, make a tomato veggie sauce and cover some smoked beef sage sausages, or grill some Raging Brats and serve on a bun with fermented sauerkraut.

Is sausage a staple in your house? What are your favorite ways to cook sausages?

I’d love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required) or contact us.

PS: I created an amazing new sausage collection, so you can see our wide selection of beef and pork sausages all in one place. Click on the product to learn more and view the clean ingredients.

PPS: It’s worth noting that small farms like ours often have an overload of ground meat. People want steaks, roasts, and organs more than ground. Adding sausage to your order is an excellent way to help us manage our ground meat inventory and have a zero waste facility.

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Sources

Pastured Meat

Health and Nutrition

Sausages

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

5 health benefits of all natural sausages

Sausage is a staple food in many households. Why? It’s affordable, convenient, versatile, and tasty. Could you ask for more? Yes, you can.

High quality natural sausages are good for your health. Here’s some general nutrition data.

1- Sausage is packed with protein.

2- Sausage is high in B vitamins.

3- Sausage is high in selenium.

4- Sausage contains iron.

5- Sausage is a great way to incorporate a variety of healthy foods into your diet.

Is sausage a staple in your house? What are your favorite ways to cook sausages?

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How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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