Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

[baguchi1]

What to do about bacon...
Atkins says to stay away from nitrites, get the bacon products made without.
ALL of the bacon products without nitrites contain sugar. Now, sugar registers 0 grams on the nutrition box, but is listed as a third ingredient. Is the sugar content so negligible that I shouldn't worry. I wonder what Atkins would say
about this...

[quotidianlight]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I count 1 gram for every serving and just live with it. I know I am not the norm though. I avoid as many chemicals as possible and actually prefer cane juice or Agave to Sugar or fake sugar. I also eat any sort of sweetener very infrequently so the 1 or 2 grams in bacon is fine with me. I tend to buy more expensive non-nitrite bacon that is cured with cane juice or molasses. The questions for me are: does it cause a blood sugar spike, How do you feel after eating it, and does it cause cravings. For me, I actually have a stronger negative reaction after 5 grams of flour or three doses of Splenda than I do after 5 grams of sugar. Do I eat it a lot? No, none of it is good for you! I probably eat an average of 5 grams of sugar a week if I include the miniscule amounts in bacon and my occasional dark chocolate.

[theredhead]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I don't worry much about nitrites anymore since reading this excellent article: Junkfood Science

[baguchi1]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

Wow...
That's excellent! Good to know.
I was duped!

[liv]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I count 1 gram for every serving and just live with it. I know I am not the norm though. I avoid as many chemicals as possible and actually prefer cane juice or Agave to Sugar or fake sugar. I also eat any sort of sweetener very infrequently so the 1 or 2 grams in bacon is fine with me. I tend to buy more expensive non-nitrite bacon that is cured with cane juice or molasses. The questions for me are: does it cause a blood sugar spike, How do you feel after eating it, and does it cause cravings. For me, I actually have a stronger negative reaction after 5 grams of flour or three doses of Splenda than I do after 5 grams of sugar. Do I eat it a lot? No, none of it is good for you! I probably eat an average of 5 grams of sugar a week if I include the miniscule amounts in bacon and my occasional dark chocolate.

I read on Eades blog I think that Agave is not really great as it is mostly fructose. But I don't really know much about it.

As for bacon. I avoid the sugar.

[Greeneggs&ham]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

As I understand it, nitrites are just used to keep the meat from looking gray in the packaging -- think of it as a food coloring/preservative. Like some artificial sweeteners, it is questionable as to it's link to cancer which is why it is discouraged. IMHO, nitites should not be an issue with blood sugar levels.

As for the nominal amount of sugar in meat products like bacon, there was a post not too long ago about its effect on blood sugar levels. I think it's fair to say that the majority of posts agreed that traditional Atkin's-friendly foods like bacon and sausage, with sugar in the latter half of the ingredient list and a count of <1 gram of carbs in the nutritional info generally pose no threat for the average low carber. Combined with the fat and protein counts, the minimal sugar count has little to no effect on blood sugar levels.

I eat bacon, sausage and pepperoni weekly with no issues. Like Quotidian suggests -- if your carb cravings increase after eating the bacon, cut it out of your diet. Otherwise enjoy the tasty treat!

[Chicklady]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

the sugar in bacon is used in the curing process, the brining before the smoking....think of it as a marinade.....it doesn't get too much, especially bacon, which is so high fat that it has no absorbtion ability.
I'd buy nitrate free any day, given a choice. I just have a tinfoil hat on when it comes to believing the FDA has our interests at heart OTOH, I have read that vitamin C will keep nitrates from turning to nitrosamines in your stomach....so maybe some nice jicama with your breakfast bacon is in order

[tracylynn1]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I found some bacon at Costco. The name brand is Coleman's. It is not cured and has no nitrates.

[gbidruglord]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I found some bacon at Costco. The name brand is Coleman's. It is not cured and has no nitrates.

But does it have sugar?

[boonie stomper]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

The sugar genally is there if the pork is cured - especially if without the nitrate, but right from the butcher, uncured - unlikely. Still, if you're as fanatical about bacon as me, you might be smart to pretend it does, and not go overboard eating it

[gbidruglord]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I hear ya boonie. We normally cook up a pound on Sunday and we only have 2 slices each every morning until it's gone. Well, we didn't last weekend because we weren't home, but we will tomorrow. I definitely love me some bacon

[Chicklady]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

If it's not cured, it's not bacon....its just pork side. If you check fitday, you'll see that a pound of COOKED bacon has only grams of carbs....that's a pound cooked....so probably 4 pounds or so raw!!!!

[valcan]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

If it's not cured, it's not bacon....its just pork side. If you check fitday, you'll see that a pound of COOKED bacon has only grams of carbs....that's a pound cooked....so probably 4 pounds or so raw!!!!

How many grams of carbs does a pound of cooked bacon have?

[gbidruglord]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

I wouldn't recommend eating a pound. Although we don't necessarily have to count calories, this has 10 grams of sodium!

Bacon, cooked (16 oz)

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 2,453.90
Calories from Fat 1,709.40
Fat 189.5 g
Saturated Fat 62.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 20.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 84 g
Cholesterol 499 mg
Sodium 10,478.00 mg
Potassium 2,562.80 mg
Carbohydrate 6.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Protein 168 g
Alcohol 0 g
Vitamin A 3 % Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 5 % Iron 36 %
Vitamin D 0 % Vitamin E 7 %
Thiamin 122 % Riboflavin 70 %
Niacin 252 % Vitamin B12 93 %
Vitamin B6 79 % Manganese 5 %
Phosphorus 242 % Copper 37 %
Selenium 402 % Magnesium 37 %
Zinc 106 %

[Chicklady]

Re: Bacon (nitrites, sugar), which is the lesser of the two evils...

How many grams of carbs does a pound of cooked bacon have?

Sorry, my numbers stick!! My fitday says three. The USDA says six.
Now, last time I weighted, three slices weighed less than an ounce (medium thickness) So about fiftyeight slices.... in a pound of cooked bacon
www.fitday.com

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/