Some musing on bacon...
aggiesrar05
Posts: 335 Member
To be completely honest before Paleo I couldn't tell you the last time I ate bacon. It really just wasn't something I had considered. It has been touted as a fairly fatty food high in saturated fat and contributing to increased LDL and subsequently CHD. MayoClinic recommends <16g saturated fat and 200mg cholesterol daily for a person eating a 2000 calorie diet maintain a decreased risk of CHD.
My question to all of you, is what do you consider too much bacon? Do you eat bacon daily? Have any of you seen a negative consequence in cholesterol levels with increased consumption of bacon? Other thoughts on bacon?
My question to all of you, is what do you consider too much bacon? Do you eat bacon daily? Have any of you seen a negative consequence in cholesterol levels with increased consumption of bacon? Other thoughts on bacon?
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Replies
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Copletely anecdotal but... my dad just went in to see his doc and his cholesterol is wonderful. He eats a great deal of meat that many would consider unhealthy, bacon included, high in cholesterol and sat. fat.
At my house between the two of use we go through about a packacge a week, I buy the nitrate free unpreserved or whatever it's called whenever I can. This feels appropriate to me. I honestly worry about the sodium in processed meats more than I worry about the fats...
And I sure love that meat candy.0 -
Oh, and I've set my cholesterol goals WAY higher than that 200mg recommendation. My breakfast of eggs would send my through the roof alone.0
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I haven't eaten much bacon lately, but I used to eat crazy amounts when I did atkins a few years ago. I had my blood tested on a regular basis back then and my cholesterol never elevated. In fact, every time I came back into the office my doc would walk in with my results and say "okay, exactly HOW MUCH bacon do you eat?!" because he couldn't believe that eating bacon at least every day, sometimes at 2 meals, wasn't affecting my levels at all.
So I'd say, eat away. Avoid the crap nitrate filled bacon though. I always buy nitrate free uncured bacon (though in the atkins days I ate whatever was the cheapest bacon I could find). It tastes so much better!0 -
Interesting. I didn't not eat bacon for any dietary reason... I just never really thought about it.0
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I eat uncured bacon from pasture raised pigs. It's the same as eating any kind of pork.
Be careful buying any bacon from the store because the curing process adds sugar and nitrates which are not Paleo.0 -
My fiance has a pork intolerance, so he can't have much before it hurts. I fry up some and use to crumble in my salads 1-2x a week. Otherwise, my bacon intake is low. I do get a lot of milage out of turkey or chicken sausage instead.
Since going Paleo, my general meat consumption has probably tripled or more and my interest in bread is quickly going away.0 -
I love me some bacon. I'd have it every day if I could, but it costs so freaking much. I think that if bacon is the worst thing you're eating, you're doing pretty great. I don't think it's technically "paleo" unless you're buying it from your local farmer and it's prepared without nitrates/nitrites. But still, if that's the worst thing you're eating, I wouldn't worry about it. But that's just my opinion.0
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I've always been a big fan of bacon. Best fat (from a flavor and cooking perspective) there is. The salts are great post-workout, and I'm addicted to anything smoked. The problem is so much of what's on the market is loaded with crap.
TRUE bacon is pork belly brined in salt water, or rubbed and cured in salt, then slow smoked (without cooking). The combination of salt and smoke act as preservatives so the big slab of pork belly can be stored without refrigeration for an indefinite time. And even longer under refrigeration.
When done in this fashion, bacon is one of the great joys in life. Although in theory it is high in fat, when you cook it, drain it, and pat it, it's not as fatty as other breakfast choices. The trick is to discard the fat.
(Okay, the last part is a little bit of blasphemy, as the salty smoky bacon fat is so gol-darn delicious!!!)
If you like salty snacks, and groove on anything "smoked", then TRUE bacon is worth the occasional nibble. Not something to eat a pound of in one sitting, mind you, but it sure sits well next to eggs or broiled mushrooms, or even with some fresh fruit.
Just be really cautious with what you purchase. "Pork, salt" should basically be all you see on the ingredient list, with some version of "smoked" on the label.
Hope this helps.0 -
I eat alot of bacon. My total cholesterol is 137 combined... You just made me hungry for some.0
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I buy and eat an obscene amount of bacon (always the best quality butcher bacon I can find)
My dietary cholesterol is huge especially considering the amount of eggs I eat cooked in said bacon grease.
My blood cholesterol is fantastic and my Dr. was highly impressed at my numbers after being paleo for 3 months.0 -
We eat about a package of bacon a week...I found some no sugar Gwaltney bacon so that is what we use...on occassion we will buy some farm bacon but it can be very expensive.
We also siphon off the bacon fat and have a mug full to use for cooking....0 -
We also siphon off the bacon fat and have a mug full to use for cooking....
Do you have any tips on this? I have found that using my bacon grease gives my food a foul taste.0 -
Bacon is a gift from God! I eat it if I don't eat it everyday (sometimes twice), then I eat it no less than 6 days a week. I go through about 3-4 packages a week (with a little help from my kids)
I use the rendered bacon grease to cook things that would taste better with it rather than coconut oil.
If younever cooked bacon, then cooked eggs in the grease from the bacon you just cooked you do no know what you are missing. Do not be afraid of the fat content of bacon. Part of eating Paleo is the high fat content. If you exercise adequately and the rest of your diet is good, it should not pose a problem.0 -
We also siphon off the bacon fat and have a mug full to use for cooking....
Do you have any tips on this? I have found that using my bacon grease gives my food a foul taste.
Make sure you do not burn the bacon when you save the fat, that will sometimes make it taste a little weird. Also, if you are saving it to cook with later on, you should use some cheese cloth to strain out the tiny particles of bacon meat that inevitably end up in the bottom of the pan...if you don't you run the risk of your lard turning rancid.0 -
We also siphon off the bacon fat and have a mug full to use for cooking....
Do you have any tips on this? I have found that using my bacon grease gives my food a foul taste.
Make sure you do not burn the bacon when you save the fat, that will sometimes make it taste a little weird. Also, if you are saving it to cook with later on, you should use some cheese cloth to strain out the tiny particles of bacon meat that inevitably end up in the bottom of the pan...if you don't you run the risk of your lard turning rancid.
Cooking the bacon in the oven helps too, as it renders more slowly and cuts down on the chances of hitting the fat's smoke point. Also, putting in an airtight container once cooled will cut down on oxidation. Brilliant idea, straining. Will try from now on.0 -
We also siphon off the bacon fat and have a mug full to use for cooking....
Do you have any tips on this? I have found that using my bacon grease gives my food a foul taste.
Make sure you do not burn the bacon when you save the fat, that will sometimes make it taste a little weird. Also, if you are saving it to cook with later on, you should use some cheese cloth to strain out the tiny particles of bacon meat that inevitably end up in the bottom of the pan...if you don't you run the risk of your lard turning rancid.
Cooking the bacon in the oven helps too, as it renders more slowly and cuts down on the chances of hitting the fat's smoke point. Also, putting in an airtight container once cooled will cut down on oxidation. Brilliant idea, straining. Will try from now on.
Thanks! I use canning jars to store it, so I feel like that's pretty air tight. I figured I should strain it, but I don't have any cheese cloth at the moment, so I will have to get some. Oven cooking is not a bad idea.
I wonder if it will work for me to pour off most of it before it gets to be almost done to prevent the grease from burning. Of course with some being left to continue to fry the bacon.0 -
I eat uncured bacon from pasture raised pigs. It's the same as eating any kind of pork.
Be careful buying any bacon from the store because the curing process adds sugar and nitrates which are not Paleo.
This. I eat it a few times a week maybe. I'd eat more but it costs too much. Even when I was mostly vegetarian I had a weakness for bacon.0 -
Even when I was mostly vegetarian I had a weakness for bacon.
LOL!
Who does not have a weakness for bacon????? I was a vegetarian several years ago and not eating bacon killed me!!!! I love the Paleo/Primal diet because I eat meat, but get it from people who respect the animals and the environment. Win - win!!0 -
Even when I was mostly vegetarian I had a weakness for bacon.
Me too! First thing I ate once I decided to un-vegetarian myself
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i would say i eat bacon 6 days a week. sometimes more than 1 x day. And my HDL (Good Chol) has raised through the roof and my LDL(bad Chol) has considerably lowered. keep in mind i also stopped eating processed snacks/breads and most added sugars. I am sure those contribute to the rise of the unhealthy cholesterol levels in our bodies.
But yes i eat more bacon since going Paleo than I ever have or thought i would. And i love it! 0 -
I don't rely on the mayo clinic as a credible source of truthful information. The guidelines are designed to get you on a statin for life.0
