Even with a few drawbacks, you don't have to completely take bacon out of your diet to be healthy. You can enjoy bacon as a part of any healthy diet with the help of one key - moderation. Keep portion sizes in check. Avoid consuming bacon more than a few times per week.
“Certainly bacon is not a health food, and I don't advise consuming it on a daily basis,” she says. “But if you eat a couple strips of bacon at brunch on the weekend, I don't think it's going to present a significant health risk—as long as your overall diet is sensible and healthy.”
In light of the more recent evidence, it's best to reduce your intake of all processed meats to once every couple of weeks. Therefore, keeping your bacon intake to a minimum is recommended – eating it every couple of weeks is best.
The healthiest way to cook bacon is to cook it until crispy (but not burned), which allows the most fat to melt off. Then, drain it on a paper towel or brown paper bag to remove even more fat before eating.
Winner: Bacon!
processed meats (anything cured, smoked, or salted) has been linked to some significant health risks such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, so regardless of your preferred meat-of-choice, try to swap it for other delicious diner sides (like whole-grain toast, potatoes, and fruit).
While bacon is flavorful and a breakfast favorite among many, it shouldn't be something you eat regularly. High in saturated fat, just 3–4 slices of bacon represents about a fifth of your daily limit for saturated fat.
For example, eggs typically are eaten with other foods high in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, such as bacon, cheese and butter. These foods are known to increase heart disease risk and should be eaten sparingly.
Bacon contains some essential micronutrients, including potassium, which supports bone health, heart health, muscle strength and prevents high blood pressure. You can also find over 50% of the RDA of two essential minerals in bacon; selenium and phosphorus.
Eggs are not only high in protein, they also contain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. So, bacon and eggs really can be a healthy breakfast option, if eaten in moderation.
Bacon contains high amounts of saturated fat
For a 2000-calorie diet, that would equal no more than 120 calories or 13 grams of saturated fat daily. Just three slices of bacon contain almost 5 grams of saturated fat. Saturated fat raises the "bad" cholesterol in your blood.
Science Backs Bacon
In order to reduce abdominal fat, high triglyceride levels, and insulin resistance (all of which are linked to weight gain), a higher fat breakfast comprising bacon may be the way to go.
While baked bacon is arguably healthier than fried bacon, it is still bacon. Enjoy it in moderation as one tasty component of a balanced diet.
But even if natural nitrates are only marginally better for you than synthetic ones, picking organic—or even grass-fed—bacon is still a cleaner choice. Both are free of nasty antibiotics and hormones, while grass-fed has the added benefit of coming from a pig that wasn't raised on corn or soy.
Overall, bacon is lower in calories and saturated fat and by trimming visible fat you can lower this again, so from a nutritional stand bacon wins. However, as discussed all processed meats should be eaten in moderation due to their links to cancer.
Finally, health experts say to stay away from processed meats, which are generally considered to be unhealthy. These include any meat that has been smoked, salted, cured, dried, or canned. Compared to fresh meat, processed meats are high in sodium and can have double the amount of nitrates.
A healthy balanced diet can include protein from meat, as well as from fish and eggs or non-animal sources such as beans and pulses. Meats such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef are all rich in protein. Red meat provides us with iron, zinc and B vitamins. Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet.
Worst cuts: Ribs, shoulder and mince. A perennial Australian favourite, lamb “tends to be fattier in general than other meats,” says Fox, though because lamb has less marbling than beef, it's easier to trim away excess fat and make cuts healthier before cooking.
For the most nutritious breakfast, try to choose whole, unprocessed foods from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy. Try to include proteins from foods like yogurts (look for varieties with less sugar added), eggs, nuts and seeds or legumes.
Holistic registered dietitian and Meg the Dietitian founder Meg Hager said it varies from person to person. “Two slices once a week might be OK for a younger person without health conditions, whereas two slices once a month might be more appropriate for someone else.”
Processed meats are meats that have been preserved by smoking or salting, curing or adding chemical preservatives. They include deli meats, bacon and hot dogs. Eating processed meats increases your cancer risk. Unfortunately, when these processed meats are preserved, cancer-causing substances form.