Bacon – this word makes our mouths water. Crispy, crunchy and hot from the pan, it makes the taste buds explode. Unfortunately, bacon is extremely fatty and therefore a real calorie bomb. After all, breakfast bacon is the belly fat of the pig. And it’s just as greasy as it sounds.
You can recognize bacon clearly by its large characteristic fat rim, which is also responsible for the delicious taste, because fat is a flavor carrier. Many flavorings only dissolve in fat and thus develop their aroma. If the bacon is then fried crispy, the taste experience is complete. Fortunately, we have some tricks for you, how the sinful bacon becomes healthier, less greasy and fitness-suitable.
How many calories and fat has bacon?
Depending on the manufacturer, bacon contains between 300 and 400 calories per 100 grams. The fat content is usually around 30 grams, half of which are saturated fatty acids, to which numerous health-endangering properties are attributed. For example, saturated fatty acids increase cholesterol levels and thus promote cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks.
Why is bacon (un)healthy?
Of course, bacon has numerous calories and consists largely of fat. However, pork belly contains almost no carbohydrates and is therefore ideal if you are on a low carb diet. At the same time, the streaky bacon contains about 15 grams of protein per 100 grams and provides your body with selenium, phosphorus, choline and niacin. While niacin (vitamin B3) is needed for the regeneration of your cells, among other things, selenium plays an important role in your immune system and the production of sperm and thyroid hormones. Phosphorus is needed for the formation of bones and teeth and choline (vitamin B4) is involved in the transmission of nerve signals in the brain.
So, in moderation, bacon is not that bad. However, you should not eat it too often and in too high quantities. Besides the high calorie content, red meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing or fermenting is suspected of causing cancer.
What to eat bacon with?
Bacon is not only perfect for a keto breakfast, it tastes great with many dishes. For example, you can wrap lean poultry with bacon before frying or fry vegetables with a few strips of bacon until crispy. However, bacon also harmonizes with sweet flavors. Thus, in addition to bacon in a chocolate coating, bacon jam is also a real temptation for every bacon lover.
How bacon becomes a fitness food?
Prepared correctly, bacon is not as bad as its reputation. With a few tricks you can not only reduce the fat content of bacon, you can also make your meal a lot healthier. To do this, you should follow these tips:
1. Fry the fat
If you want to reduce the fat content of your bacon, you can simply fry it out, also called ‘rendering’. The visible white edge of the fat becomes liquid when heated, so that you can easily separate the excess fat. If you prefer to prepare bacon in a frying pan, simply place the bacon in the cold pan without oil and fry it over medium heat until the fat escapes but does not burn. Turn the slices when the bacon curls up. It is ready when the fat has become liquid and the bacon is fried until golden brown.
Caution: Never pour the liquid fat down the sink. Otherwise the fat will solidify again and clog the pipes. Instead, use a kitchen towel to soak up the fat and throw it in the trash can.
2. Let the bacon drip off
If the bacon has always gone directly from the pan to the plate, you should now take a small intermediate step. Lay out an additional plate with two sheets of kitchen paper and let the bacon lie on the paper for a while before serving it. The paper absorbs excess fat and ensures that you eat less fat. But don’t worry: the taste doesn’t suffer from it.
3. Make sure you have the right garnishes
So simple, yet so effective: instead of eating bacon with other greasy or high-calorie foods, you can use it to add a smoky and exciting flavor to vegetables, for example. This way you don’t consume bacon in masses and you get a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber from the vegetables.
4. Use less salt
Bacon is already cured, which means that you should not add salt to it, otherwise you will quickly exceed the salt level recommended by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommended daily intake of 6 grams of salt, which corresponds to about one teaspoon. If you use bacon for savory dishes, you can add fresh herbs such as rosemary instead of salt, but also paprika or onions for an exciting taste.
5. Prepare bacon gently
Instead of always frying the bacon in a pan, you should also bake it in the oven. Let the bacon bake for 15 minutes at 190°C convection oven. Then turn it once and let it bake again for 15 minutes. The background: The nitrite curing salt reacts at high heat, creating carcinogenic substances. If you cook bacon gently in the oven, you can make sure that it is not overheated and that no harmful substances are produced. By the way, you do not need to add any additional fat to the bacon.
3 fit recipes with bacon
If you have an appetite for bacon now, you can start right away. We have 3 delicious recipes for you:
1. Salad with mushrooms with a honey mustard vinaigrette
We don’t have ordinary lettuce, unlike this salad, which tastes intensely hearty thanks to the bacon and fried mushrooms. It also contains a good portion of protein thanks to the eggs.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
- 200 grams of lamb’s lettuce
- 2 eggs
- 200 grams of mushrooms
- 50 gram bacon
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tsp. mustard
- Pepper
Preparation:
- Clean lamb’s lettuce and pluck into bite-sized pieces. Dice the onions and bacon, slice the mushrooms.
- Hard boil the eggs, rinse, peel and cut into quarters. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and stir together a salad dressing from oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and pepper.
- Mix all ingredients together and serve.
2. Green beans wrapped in bacon
Crisp vegetables with a smoky flavor: bacon-wrapped beans are a delicious side dish that goes well with potatoes, for example, but also with roasted chicken.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
- 400 g fresh beans (alternatively frozen beans)
- 100 grams of bacon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch of pepper
Preparation:
- Wash the beans and cut off the tops.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot, add salt and cook the beans for about 8 minutes. Leave to cool briefly.
- Wrap a slice of bacon around each bean and fry in a pan until crispy. Sprinkle with a little pepper.
3. Delicious bacon jam
Jam doesn’t always have to be sweet or fruity. Bacon jam tastes fantastic with dark bread and is ideal when barbecuing.
Ingredients for one jam jar:
- 300 grams bacon
- 150 grams of red onions
- 1 clove of garlic
- 50 grams of sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 40 ml maple syrup
- 40 ml whiskey
- pepper, paprika powder
Preparation:
- Dice onions and garlic.
- Fry bacon in a pan until crispy, remove from pan and remove most of the fat from the pan with a kitchen towel. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
- Add the whiskey and maple syrup, bring to a boil briefly, then add the balsamic and sugar and whisk until the liquid becomes creamy.
- Fold in the bacon and let everything simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pour into a clean jam jar and store in the refrigerator for a maximum of 2 weeks.
Bacon contains a lot of calories and fat, but with the right preparation and a clever combination of foods, even breakfast bacon becomes much healthier. Nevertheless, you should not enjoy it in masses, but in moderation.