Less fat bacon?
During a nutrition consultation today a client told me that he cannot and will not give up his bacon. Are there ways to cook bacon so it is less fat he asked?
What? A dietitian blogging about cooking bacon? My viewpoint for improving your eating habits: start where you are; make small and gradual changes to get to your health goals. Drastic and quick changes often do not result in permanent changes then you are back to square one.
For those who must have their bacon once in a while, here are my suggestions:
Pan fry- the messiest but most often used
- Dry pan fry your bacon without any grease. If you start at low heat and work up to medium heat much of the bacon fat will render out. Turn bacon to cook evenly on both sides. If you cut the bacon strips in half, they won’t curl up as much.
- When bacon is done to your liking, turn the heat off, take the pan off heating element. Tilt your pan to one side to drain bacon fat. You can prop up the pan to one side with a pot holder. Place cooked bacon on paper towel to drain, and get rid of more excess bacon fat.
- You then have to do something with the left over bacon fat. Don’t pour it down your kitchen drain! I have used an old coffee can or jar to store the bacon grease for garbage pick up.
Cooking bacon in oven –
- If you don’t want to watch the bacon too closely or don’t want to take a chance of grease spatter on yourself, bake them.
- Single layer bacon strips over a broiling pan (pan with holes fitting inside of a separate grease catching pan) bake 10-15 minutes (depends on thickness of bacon) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Drain bacon slices again on paper towels. Discard bacon grease as suggested above. You can use the smaller toaster oven pan, and then into dishwasher for clean up.
Microwave –
- This is my favorite way to cook bacon. I use several layers of paper towels over paper plates (You can also use a microwave pan). Cover with a sheet of paper towel to prevent splatter.
- Microwave 3-5 minutes depending on your oven and the amount of bacon. Turn your container if you do not have a rotating tray for even cooking. Drain grease again on more clean paper towels.
- You can always pat with paper towels and napkins to get rid of more fat. Throw away your paper goods, very little clean up required.
Seems like a lot trouble and paper towels for a few pieces of bacon huh? No matter how you cook your bacon, minimize the remaining fat content is the main idea and moderation is the key. Eat just a slice or two and just once in a while.
Other breakfast meat ideas: limit your portions to only 1-2 oz
- Lean cooked ham
- Canadian bacon
- Turkey bacon
- Turkey patties/ Sausage
- Veggie patties
- Chicken Sausage
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What? A dietitian blogging about cooking bacon? My viewpoint for improving your eating habits: start where you are; make small and gradual changes to get to your health goals. Drastic and quick changes often do not result in permanent changes then you are back to square one.
For those who must have their bacon once in a while, here are my suggestions:
Pan fry- the messiest but most often used
Dry pan fry your bacon without any grease. If you start at low heat and work up to medium heat much of the bacon fat will render out. Turn bacon to cook evenly on both sides. If you cut the bacon strips in half, they won’t curl up as much.
When bacon is done to your liking, turn the heat off, take the pan off heating element. Tilt your pan to one side to drain bacon fat. You can prop up the pan to one side with a pot holder. Place cooked bacon on paper towel to drain, and get rid of more excess bacon fat.
You then have to do something with the left over bacon fat. Don’t pour it down your kitchen drain! I have used an old coffee can or jar to store the bacon grease for garbage pick up.
Cooking bacon in oven –
If you don’t want to watch the bacon too closely or don’t want to take a chance of grease spatter on yourself, bake them.
Single layer bacon strips over a broiling pan (pan with holes fitting inside of a separate grease catching pan) bake 10-15 minutes (depends on thickness of bacon) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drain bacon slices again on paper towels. Discard bacon grease as suggested above. You can use the smaller toaster oven pan, and then into dishwasher for clean up.
Microwave –
This is my favorite way to cook bacon. I use several layers of paper towels over paper plates (You can also use a microwave pan). Cover with a sheet of paper towel to prevent splatter.
Microwave 3-5 minutes depending on your oven and the amount of bacon. Turn your container if you do not have a rotating tray for even cooking. Drain grease again on more clean paper towels.
You can always pat with paper towels and napkins to get rid of more fat. Throw away your paper goods, very little clean up required.
Seems like a lot trouble and paper towels for a few pieces of bacon huh? No matter how you cook your bacon, minimize the remaining fat content is the main idea and moderation is the key. Eat just a slice or two and just once in a while.
Other breakfast meat ideas: try to limit to only 1-2 oz
Lean cooked ham
Canadian bacon
Turkey bacon
Turkey patties/ Sausage
Veggie patties
Chicken Sausage
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
The best way to enjoy bacon is easy. 1. Choose a quality bacon. Look at the package. See a lot of fat? Buy another brand. 2. Cook bacon till it is crisp, well done. That removes the most of the fat. Blot after cooking. Brake of any fatty parts. Bacon well done is better for you than pork sausage.
Nooooo. Well-cooked bacon may have less fat than some pork sausage, but bacon is very high in cancer-causing nitrites, salt, and sugar. It is a processed, smoked meat. Pork sausage varies in quality, but good quality sausage is made from fresh meat (not smoked), can be fairly lean, and it is likely to have fewer (if any) chemical flavouring agents. And it is nitrite free. There is no contest as to which is healthier because fat isn’t the only health consideration.
The best way to enjoy bacon is easy. 1. Choose a quality bacon. Look at the package. See a lot of fat? Buy another brand. 2. Cook bacon till it is crisp, well done. That removes the most of the fat. Blot after cooking. Brake of any fatty parts. Bacon well done is better than pork sausage.
but what if my bacon became a faggot?
2 Bacon slices = 25mg cholesterol
If i take off the fat what would the cholesterol level be ??
It’s hard to say precisely because each 2 slice of bacon would have different ratio of fat and lean parts.
If you only eat the 2 slices without the fatty part,
I think you can say it’s 30-50% less cholesterol.
Again it’s about fat to lean ratio and if you baked or fried your bacon.