Posted March 5, 2017 in Debra’s Wellness Tips

Makin' Bacon

Debra’s Wellness Tips

According to Amanda MacMillan’s February 2017 post, you need to cool it on bacon. The main reason for the suggested moderation is bacon’s high content of sodium. Four slices of thick-cut bacon have about 240 calories. They also contain eight grams of saturated fat and 880 mg of sodium. That is about 40% of a person’s government-recommended daily values.

When for an occasional treat, the suggestion is to cook bacon in a microwave or oven.

In a conventional oven:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is at your preferred level of crispiness.
3. Dry bacon on paper towels before serving.

Rachael Ray’s instructions for cooking bacon in a microwave oven:

1. Place 2 sheets of paper towel on a microwave-safe plate.
2. Lay up to 8 slices of bacon on the paper towels. Make sure not to overlap the slices.
3. Place 2 more sheets of paper towel on top.
4. Heat in the microwave on high for 4 to 6 minutes.

Less meat is probably ideal, and leaner pork such as Canadian bacon may be a healthier option, but be wary of pork-free bacon substitutes, like turkey bacon, that often contain just as much or more sodium.

MacMillan’s article  quotes Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, “We’re talking about relative risk. That means that, for a healthy person, eating bacon every day will raise their overall risk of colon cancer from something like 5% to 6%.”

This week, when you have choices, make the healthier, but also really notice how safe life is. Enjoy!

Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips


Small Changes … Infinite Results™

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” 
~ Mother Teresa

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