Calories in Bacon

Bacon is a breakfast favorite which is prepared from cured pig meat. While the people of United Kingdom go for the thigh portion of the pork to make bacon, Canadians prefer the pork loin rib eye, and the US people love the belly portion to make bacon. Bacon are juicy 0.031 to 0.111" thick strips of pig meat.

In the US alone, the amount of bacon produced annually touches the 2 billion pound mark. The figure itself indicates that a tab on bacon calories is necessary in today's disease-fraught world. But there is more to consider than just calories in bacon, such as nutritional values, possible side effects, and health benefits.

The following slides provides information about the number of calories, protein, and carbohydrates present in bacon.

Raw bacon 1.8 oz.(2 slices)
Calories- 278
Carbohydrates(in grams)- 0.11
Proteins(in grams)- 20

Pan-fried bacon (1 slice)
Calories- 42
Carbohydrates(in grams)- 0.12
Proteins(in grams)- 3.03

Microwaved, cured bacon (1 slice)
Calories- 38
Carbohydrates(in grams)- 0.08
Proteins(in grams)- 2.9

Smoke-cured bacon(low sodium) (1 slice 0.031" thick)
Calories- 27
Carbohydrates(in grams)- 0.07
Proteins(in grams)- 1.85

Baked bacon 1 slice
Calories- 44
Carbohydrates(in grams)- 0.11
Proteins(in grams)- 2.89

• 2 slices of raw bacon are a good source of various types of vitamin B. It has 16% B1 or thiamine, 8% B2 or riboflavin, 30% B3 or niacin, 6% B5 or pantothenic acid, & also 10% and 12% of vitamin B6 and B12 respectively.
• It has 58 mg of cholesterol which does fulfill 19% of daily requirement of the body but, is bad news for people affected by high cholesterol.

• Not only does 2 raw slices have a whopping sodium content of 1262 mg but they also fulfill other mineral demands of the body to the following extent - phosphorus: 30%, zinc: 12%, potassium: 8%, copper: 4%, magnesium: 4%, and iron: 2%. It is also a good source of selenium.

• Even though two strips of bacon have nothing less than 2 g of saturated fats, they have 10 g of monounsaturated fat. This fat promotes cardiovascular health and is rich in vitamin E which has a good antioxidant property. They are also rich in polyunsaturated fat which combats cancer.

• Nitrate traces found in bacon are especially good for heart patients as they help the recuperation of heart tissues and also shields them from future trauma.

• Canadian bacon is lower in calories and cholesterol. While 2 grilled slices have about 90 calories, with 35 coming from fat and the rest from proteins, it has 25 g of cholesterol.

Therefore, the health benefits of bacon are nor really as few as often portrayed. Being a red meat, it is a sound source of iron, which in turn helps in generation of red blood cells.

However, some recent studies have revealed that sodium nitrite, a chemical colorant generally added to processed bacon or even other meats for that matter, may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by at least 67%. Apart from this, sodium nitrate is already known to cause infant cerebral tumors and leukemia.

So, these were some of the nutritional facts about bacon. It is always good to practice moderation in eating, therefore eat bacon about twice a week if you like it. Remember indulging your taste buds is good once in a while but nothing should supersede your desire to stay healthy. The calories in bacon will only work for you if you practice discretion and balance in bacon consumption.