It's Bacon Time

A couple of my friends were talking the other day about bacon. A number of them had seen an episode of Oprah where the guy who wrote the book "Eat this, Not that!" Said that regular bacon was better or the same for you as Turkey Bacon. So I started to do a little comparison shopping.

TURKEY BACON
My husband and I have been eating turkey bacon for a long time so I knew alot about it already. Most all turkey bacon has 25 calories a slice, except for Jenny O turkey bacon which only has 20 calories a slice. However the really good part about turkey bacon is where these calories come from. It only has .5 grams of fat. That's 3 grams of protein a slice.

PIG BACON
Now normal bacon has 35 - 45 calories a slice. This is just any regular package you pick up. The thick cut slices are obviously more. However there are two kinds of "pig" bacon that are lower in calories.

Gwaltney bacon makes a bacon that is 40% less in fat. It has 60 calories of 3 pieces (or 20 calories a slice.) HOWEVER, those three pieces have 4.5 grams of fat with 1.5 grams of that being saturated fat. Also you are only getting about half the grams of protein per slice (5 grams of protein in all 3 slices.)

Oscar Mayer fully cooked Bacon is the lowest calorie bacon. It has 70 calories in 4 slices. But it has a total of 6 g of fat in those 4 slices, 2g coming from saturated fat. Also it has the slowest grams coming from fiber with only 5 grams of fiber in all 4 slices.

SO I guess what it comes down to is this, some people don't like the taste and consistency of turkey bacon. It is an acquired taste. However after eating turkey bacon for so long now, my husband will not eat regular bacon anymore, he actually spit it out. For one it shriveled up to about half the size it started as, and it was so greasy!! There was grease just covering the paper towels and our bacon tray. With turkey bacon it remains the same size it starts off as, and there is virtually no grease at all after cooking it, my paper towel that I cover it with remains dry. So I guess if you just can't stand turkey bacon go with one of the two lower calorie pig bacons. But overall the Jenny O bacon I would say is the best. It has 80 calories for 4 slices giving you 12 grams of protein, with only 2 grams of fat and none of that is saturated. Hope that helps in your bacon shopping!!