It is hard to deny that plate of bacon has a magical quality. It’s what gets people out of bed in the morning, turns simple dishes into tasty favorites, and breathes new life into classic recipes. Bacon, with its smoky scent, its salty-sweet bite, screams “eat me.”.
This is where the fairy tale ends: anyone who sits down at a plate of bacon has to reckon with the consequences. Bacon has its merits as a portion of healthy food, but not all. Like many good things in life, it is essential to use bacon in moderation. Consuming a 3-ounce serving of bacon brings back 398 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat (the American Heart Association recommends limiting our intake to 13 grams a day) and 1,430 mg sodium (according to a heart-healthy diet), which is 70 mg below the daily recommended limit.
Use It as a Garnish
The advantage of bacon is that a single slice provides 4 grams of protein, which can help you feel satisfied after a meal. Uncured bacon can also be found in many shops, which helps to reduce the total amount of salt per serving. Of course, bacon isn’t the healthiest food, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it from time to time, says Victoria Seaver, senior digital editor of EatingWells, MS, RD.
Keep Your Portions Reasonable
Fortunately for us, bacon is so powerful that you can achieve a lot with just a little bit of bacon. Here are four simple tips for enjoying bacon as part of a healthy diet. Spreading bacon on a dish not only makes it look delicious and gives the impression that much more bacon is served but can also help make you feel satisfied. Instead of having bacon on your plate, use it as a side dish, as in the delicious cauliflower soup shown above.
A good rule of thumb for a reasonable portion of bacon is one ounce per person. That’s a slice per person, which equates to 44 calories and 1 gram of saturated fat.
You can use a piece of bacon as part of a more giant recipe or wrap it around already tender chicken. It’s tasty, and it goes far. How you cook bacon affects how healthy it is in the long run.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Fat
The healthiest way to cook bacon is to cook it crispy (not burnt) and let the fat melt. Drain the bacon on a paper towel or brown paper bag to remove the fat before eating. The fat is absorbed by the paper towel and paper, and the saturated fat you consume is helpful when it comes to your heart.
Buy Bacon That Has a Big, Bold, Smoky Flavor
If you buy and try other bacon, you will notice a slight difference in smoking. Bacon has an umami-rich salty flavor and a smoky aroma. Try smoked or smoked bacon. You can reduce or double it for a more significant flavor effect.