Toss the Turkey Bacon and Just Eat the Real Thing — It's Better For You, Really!
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If you have to take a second look at that title, it's totally understandable. Many people tend to think that turkey bacon is much healthier than regular pork bacon, but is it really? I mean, just compare the pan from cooking turkey bacon with cooking pork bacon. Pork bacon leaves behind so much fat. How on earth could it be so much healthier for you? Let's find out.
Why Turkey Bacon Isn't the Healthiest Choice
Overall, the average slice of turkey bacon has fewer calories, so you might automatically assume that would make it the healthier alternative to pork bacon. According to Keisha Luke, a Toronto-based culinary nutritionist, "Turkey bacon doesn't offer much when it comes to nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, it's lower in protein than pork bacon, and the calories it contains are mainly from fat they add during processing because turkey does not contain a lot of fat itself."
Turkey bacon is also a highly processed food. The process of making turkey bacon is what causes it to be so unhealthy. First, they grind bits of white meat and dark meat together, add in some seasonings to mimic the taste of pork bacon, throw in some chemicals and preservatives, then reform and color the "meat" to make it resemble a strip of real bacon.
Nitrites and nitrates are also added to the mix, which is also one of the main reasons that it is simply no good because they metabolize in the body and result in nitrosamines, which are known cancer-causing carcinogens. That's why it's best to eat food in its original and unprocessed form.
Why Pork Bacon Is the Better Choice
If you must get your bacon fix, pork is going to be the better of the two. That's because, according to Luke, "even though it's not the leanest cut of pork, bacon that is still in its natural and unprocessed state (as long as you buy uncured organic, which contains no nitrates or nitrites) is always better than a manmade substitute." Here are four major reasons real bacon beats turkey bacon.
- Packed With Protein
The protein content in bacon is very beneficial to your body in many ways. It's a complete protein that has all nine of the essential amino acids needed by your body to do awesome stuff like build muscle! The protein to fat ratio in pork bacon is 4:1, which is the highest among any other meat on the planet. - Contains Healthy Fats
Most people tend to think that fat makes you fat, clogs your arteries, and more, but that's just not the case. In fact, the saturated fat found in bacon plays a key role in heart health, brain health, protection of the liver from toxins such as alcohol, and much more. A large portion of your brain is made up from saturated fat, and by limiting the intake of these fats, you're robbing your brain of materials that it needs to function properly. - Protection For the Heart
Bacon contains omega-3 fatty acids that are essential, meaning our bodies cannot manufacture them so we need to get them from our diets. These fatty acids reduce cholesterol levels and protect the heart. - High Vitamin and Mineral Content
A serving of bacon will provide you with 65 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin B1 (thiamin) and 47 percent of vitamin B3 (niacin). It also contains B12, zinc, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and pantothenate. That's a lot of good nutrients in a strip!
By no means are we saying that bacon should be a staple to your healthy diet or that you should fry up a slab of pork every morning, but we're also not saying you should avoid it. In fact, there are benefits to real pork bacon that far outweigh the turkey variety. So grab yourself a couple of slices and enjoy some of the real stuff you love — no need to fake it, just don't go for seconds.