Sausages and Bacon

Lean59man · November 2017

ccrdragon wrote: »

Lean59man wrote: »

Eating bacon everyday is probably not a good idea.

Once a week is ok.

Why?

All the nitrates in bacon (unless you are eating bacon without all that in it).

Need2Exerc1se · November 2017

Nitrates and nitrites in processed meats aren't necessarily a problem. The link to cancer could come from something else. In the case of bacon, cooking process may make a difference.

https://www.livescience.com/36057-truth-nitrites-lunch-meat-preservatives.html

Kadoober · November 2017

Have you considered making your own?
It's relatively simple, and you control what goes into it.

dwilliamca · November 2017

I love bacon but only eat occasionally because it does add up. I do eat turkey sausage more often because they are lower calories and fit in with my regular breakfast. I think the turkey sausage is good, but can't even look at the turkey bacon.

Lean59man · November 2017

Kadoober wrote: »

Have you considered making your own?
It's relatively simple, and you control what goes into it.

That would be neat if it isn't too difficult.

I'm going to look it up.

Unknown · November 2017

This content has been removed.

karinschoultz · November 2017

You can buy nitrite free bacon

Kadoober · November 2017

Lean59man wrote: »

Kadoober wrote: »

Have you considered making your own?
It's relatively simple, and you control what goes into it.

That would be neat if it isn't too difficult.

I'm going to look it up.

It's really not at all difficult, but both bacon and sausage require some special equipment.
Bacon - a smoker
Sausage - a meat grinder and sausage stuffer (if desired).

If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, there is a meat grinder attachment, and a sausage stuffer attachment.

To make breakfast sausage, I will cut up a 5 lb. pork shoulder into small cubes, and season it with fresh chopped ginger, minced fresh garlic, chopped fresh sage, salt, loads of ground black pepper, and a good pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix that mess together, cover with saran, and let sit in the fridge over night.

The next day, grind with a small plate on the grinder. Mix with a mixer, slowly adding VERY cold water so it holds together. Form into patties.

Find all other breakfast sausages to be lacking forevermore.

greenlizard72 · November 2017

ccrdragon wrote: »

You could also buy uncured versions of the bacon and sausage which would not have the nitrates/nitrites in them.

This. If you buy your meat from a real butcher instead of the grocery store, all that stuff you are worried about is absent. You'll still have the "red meat is bad" and other beliefs to contend with, which is up to you to believe or dismiss.

I believe in the mantra of all things in moderation. Lack of moderation has gotten me to where I am today, but that does not disprove the saying, but rather reinforces it. Use your intelligence and reason to make the best decision for you.

azironasun · November 2017

minstine wrote: »

Yes they fit and yes I'm eating plenty of fruits and vegs. I just heard they can cause cancer.

What they really cause is true happiness, cosmic bliss! Enjoy them to their fullest!

lynn_glenmont · November 2017

karinschoultz wrote: »

You can buy nitrite free bacon

I'm pretty sure there's no such thing. Look at the fine print. They all say something like

nitrite-free*

*except for nitrite naturally occurring in celery.

It doesn't say "except for some miniscule amount in celery that -- for some bizarre reason having nothing to do with the nitrites -- we pile on top of our bacon while we're curing it, and we just can't help it if a tiny bit of nitrites from the celery makes it way into the bacon." Notice they don't say "50% less nitrites than bacon that isn't cured using celery juice."

If nitrites are a health concern, I don't see why it's less of a concern if it comes from celery.

Given that the well-known study on increased cancer risk from processed meat works out to one percentage point increase in risk if you're eating it every day (which I don't -- other than coffee, there's practically nothing I eat every day or nearly every day), I don't worry about the nitrites.

Plus, I figure I have a good chance at a genetic resistance to cancer from cured meat. My grandfather pretty much ate cured meat three times a day for all of his adult life, and he was cancer-free when a pharmacist's mistake poisoned him in his 90s.

grinning_chick · November 2017

minstine wrote: »

Is it OK "health wise" to eat one or two bacon strips or 2 sausages a day? I eat one or the other with 2 hard boiled eggs everyday. It really helps with me with the protein amount. I can't have dairy, and soy or whey protein powders and i don't feel like eating chicken for breakfast.

(I personally find turkey burgers and sausages/links can really assist in hitting daily protein goals. And have you tried the rice or pea protein powders? I have zero experience with either to know if not only palatable, but worth it from a calorie/carb standpoint.)

Sure. Why wouldn't it? I have never followed a low fat diet in my life and never will as I am attached (literally and figuratively) to my gall bladder.

Nor is eating cured meats on occasion the reason I am fat. In fact, the first diet I ever went on was low carb and I lost a lot of weight eating them far more often than I do now.

In fact, I plan on eating two strips of bacon (streaky) and two sausage links a day for the next 1-2 weeks as part of a pseudo-English Breakfast (I have *got* to stop perving the Outlander Kitchen recipe site...it led to me learning about EB's).

(I only eat two meals + a snack and a protein shake a day for a 1600 calories/day and, yes, all that fits it as well as my macros split targets - woot! - it is going to be glorious.)

xvolution · November 2017

They're fine as long as they fit your macros. There are also variations of sausage and bacon that are lower in fat or salt if that's the issue. I usually brown breakfast sausage like ground beef, drain and rinse it, and store it in the fridge to add to my eggs in the morning (2Tbsp=1oz).