Determining How Many Slices of Summer Sausage Equals 2 Ounces

Summer sausage is a popular snack food and charcuterie board item. With its tangy, smoky flavor and conveniently pre-sliced format, it’s easy to enjoy a little too much of this tasty treat But when watching your portions, it’s important to know exactly how many slices make up a standard 2 ounce serving In this article, we’ll explore the typical serving size for summer sausage, tips for measuring portions accurately, and how to enjoy summer sausage responsibly as part of a balanced diet.

An Overview of Summer Sausage

Before diving into portions, let’s first review what exactly summer sausage is Summer sausage is a cured, fermented sausage that originated as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration It gets its signature tangy, robust flavor from a mixture of pork and other meat, salts, spices, and lactic acid bacteria used in fermentation.

Some key facts about summer sausage:

• Usually a mixture of pork and beef, sometimes with other meats like turkey or chicken

• Fermented and air-dried, which yields a firm, chewy texture

• Infused with spices like black pepper, mustard seed, coriander, and garlic

• Can be smoked or unsmoked; smoked has a more robust flavor

• Sold whole or presliced; presliced is most convenient for snacking

• Shelf-stable, so keeps without refrigeration until opened

With its flavorful spice blend and convenience, it’s no wonder summer sausage is a popular snack and addition to appetizer spreads. But it is high in sodium, fat, and calories, so watching portions is advised.

What is the Typical Serving Size?

To keep your summer sausage intake in check, let’s look at what constitutes a typical serving. Many brands consider 2 ounces to be one serving of summer sausage. This is about the size of a billiard ball or a hockey puck.

However, depending on the brand, some packages may differ in their serving sizes slightly:

• Johnsonville: 2 oz (56g) per serving, 6 servings per package
• Oberto: 1 oz (28g) per serving, 8 servings per package
• Jack Link’s: 1 oz (28g) per serving, 8 servings per package

So be sure to check the Nutrition Facts label on your specific package to see the accurate serving size breakdown. Don’t rely solely on counting slices, as slice counts can vary.

Counting Out 2 Ounce Portions

Once you know the target serving size in ounces, the next step is accurately measuring a 2 ounce portion. Here are some tips:

• Use a food scale for the most precision
• Stack slices until the stacked weight equals 2 ounces
• Estimate size based on a deck of cards
• Count slices according to package serving size

If using a food scale, simply place an empty bowl on the scale, press tare to reset to zero, then add slices to the bowl until the display reads 2 ounces.

You can also stack slices vertically, pressing gently to compact them, until the stack roughly matches the thickness of a deck of cards or is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

As a general rule of thumb, 4 thin slices of summer sausage typically equal 2 ounces. But again, it’s best to verify by weighing or checking the slice count per serving on your package’s label.

Tips for Managing Portions

When enjoying summer sausage, a few small changes can help keep portions in check:

• Measure out a 2 oz serving instead of grabbing from the package
• Slice thicker pieces to get more for your 2 ounces
• Pair with crunchy vegetables for a filling snack
• Add to a sandwich or wrap instead of eating alone
• Choose summer sausage with lower sodium and fat
• Switch up snacks during the week for more variety

Pre-portioning servings into snack bags is another great way to control portions of sliced summer sausage for grab-and-go convenience.

Health Benefits and Considerations

While delicious, it’s important to keep in mind that summer sausage is high in sodium, fat, and cholesterol. Consumed in excess, it can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity.

However, enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced, whole food diet, summer sausage can offer some benefits. It provides protein for energy, zinc for immune function, and iron to prevent anemia. Just be mindful of serving sizes.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to 1500mg per day and saturated fat intake to 13g per day. Most 2 ounce servings of summer sausage contain between 450-680mg sodium and 4-8g saturated fat. So allowing for other foods in your diet, summer sausage is best consumed no more than a few times per week.

Perfectly Portioned Summer Sausage Recipes

Want to enjoy summer sausage while still keeping portions in check? Try these tasty and nutritious recipes:

Summer Sausage Roll Ups

• Spread 1 tbsp whipped cream cheese onto a slice of turkey or ham
• Top with 2 thin slices summer sausage
• Roll up and slice in half

Summer Sausage Pizza

• Top a 3-4 inch whole wheat pita with 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• Add 2 ounces summer sausage, thinly sliced
• Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
• Bake at 375°F until cheese melts, 5-7 minutes

Summer Sausage Egg Bake

• Whisk 6 eggs with 2 tbsp milk
• Stir in 1 cup chopped vegetables like spinach, bell pepper, and onion
• Add 2 ounces diced summer sausage
• Pour into greased baking dish and bake at 375°F until set, 20-25 minutes

Summer Sausage Salad

• Toss together 2 cups mixed greens, 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 2 tbsp shredded carrot
• Top with 2 ounces sliced summer sausage
• Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of your favorite vinaigrette

So don’t avoid summer sausage completely—just be sure to indulge mindfully. Now that you know how many slices equal 2 ounces, you can easily incorporate this snack into a healthy lifestyle.