Calories in Bacon

"Porridge and cream," says the woman. "And our own cured bacon and our own eggs. Our own honey and the bread I bake myself. Will that do, with coffee and cream?"

On it was a steaming tureen of porridge, a bowl of golden syrup, a jug of very thick cream, and a dish of bacon and eggs, all piled high on crisp brown toast. Little mushrooms were on the same dish.

"Toast, marmalade and butter to come, and the coffee and hot milk," said the woman, busily setting everything out."And if you want any more bacon and eggs, just ring the bell." Excerpts from Enid Blyton's "Five On a Hike Together".

Can there be anything yummier than this? This is like breakfast in heaven. Somehow, Blyton's portrayal of meals were always so lavish that it managed to work up an appetite for me alright. She was a true connoisseur of food and a little observation would be enough to note that bacon somehow always made its way into her fictional meals. Even today, bacon is a breakfast favorite. While the people of United Kingdom go for the thigh portion of the pork to make bacon, Canadians prefer the pork loin rib eye and the US people love the belly portion to make juicy 0.031 to 0.111" thick strips of bacon. In the US alone, the amount of bacon produced per annum touches the 2 billion pound mark. The figure itself indicates that a tab on bacon calories is necessary and has to be considered in today's disease fraught world. But there is more to consider than just calories in bacon, such as bacon nutritional values and possible side effects and health benefits of bacon.

Nutritional Values of Bacon

Check out the following table to find out all about bacon nutrition and calories.

Bacon Form	Serving Size	Number of Calories	Calories from Fat	Carbohydrates (in grams)	Proteins (in grams)
Raw bacon	1.8 oz. (2 slices)	278	182	0.11	20
Cured, pan-fried bacon	1 slice	42	29	0.12	3.03
Microwaved, cured bacon	1 slice	38	25	0.08	2.9
Smoke-cured bacon (low sodium)	1 slice (0.031" thick)	27	19	0.07	1.85
Baked bacon	1 slice	44	32	0.11	2.89

So, evidently calories in bacon in bacon come largely from fats with only 1% coming from carbohydrates and a little from proteins. Let us see some other bacon nutrition facts to make things clearer.

Nutrition Facts about Bacon

• 2 slices of raw bacon is a good source of vitamin B forms. It has B1 or thiamine (16%), B2 or riboflavin (8%), B3 known as niacin (30%), B5 or pantothenic acid (6%) and also caters to 10% and 12% of vitamin B6 and B12 DV requirements of the body.
• It also has 58 mg of cholesterol which does fulfill 19% of the daily requirement of the body but is bad news for people suffering from high cholesterol problems.
• Not only does 2 raw slices have a whopping sodium content of 1262 mg but fulfills other mineral demands of the body to the following extent - phosphorus: 30%, zinc: 12%, potassium: 8%, copper: 4%, magnesium: 4% and iron: 2%. it also has selenium.
• Even though two strips of bacon has nothing less than 2 gms of saturated fats, it has a handsome 10 gm content of monounsaturated fat which promotes cardiovascular health and is rich in antioxidant vitamin E. It also has 1 g of polyunsaturated fat which combats cancer threats.
• Nitrate traces found in bacon are especially good for heart patients as these help the recuperation of heart tissues and also shields them from future trauma.
• Canadian bacon is lower in calories and cholesterol. While 2 grilled slices have about 90 calories with 35 coming from fat and the rest from proteins, it has 25 gms of cholesterol.
• Nowadays, bacon is believed to be the least fatty among meats given that the diet of the animals are now tended to in a manner that they are leaner in nature.

So, the health benefits of bacon are nor really as few as often portrayed. Being a red meat, it is a sound source of iron, which in turn helps the generation of red blood cells. In fact, Professor Alan Jackson, chairperson of Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), stated that, "Red meat is a vital source of iron for the population and our concern is that any nutritional advice on decreasing red meat consumption could result in consumers not getting enough iron."

However, in recent years, some studies have revealed that sodium nitrite, a chemical colorant generally added to processed bacon or even other meats for that matter, can increase the risk of deriving pancreatic cancer by at least 67%. Sodium nitrate is known already known to cause infant cerebral tumors and leukemia. Also a Harvard research has fund links between regular bacon consumption (5 times a week or more) and 59% more chances of being attacked by vesica cancer.

So, this was all I could tell you about bacon calories, nutrition and related health factors. It is always good to practice moderation in eating and so eat bacon about twice every week if you like. But do not eat it on a daily basis. Remember indulging your taste buds is good once in a while but nothing should supersede your desire to stay healthy. The calories in bacon will only work for you if you practice discretion and balance in bacon consumption. After all, the children in Blyton's novels did eat up sumptuously, but they were seldom inactive and more importantly weren't subject to health hazards being fictional in nature!