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Is bacon really bad unhealthy nitrates processed paleo

Is bacon really so bad?

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Whenever I even mention the b word I get called out. Yep, apparently bacon is highly processed and must be avoided at all costs.

But is it really bad?

Almost everything we eat is processed in one way or another. We buy our meat cut, or maybe ground. We buy our meat dried or frozen. When I think of processed meat, I think of meat that has been ground up, combined with chemicals and other dubious ingredients and given a completely new form and shape (think “chicken” nuggets and hot dogs). Bacon is not processed like this.

Bacon bad for you nitrates sodium cured processed pork belly preserved Paleo Network

Why is bacon so different?

Bacon has been around for a long time, from the days we needed to preserve our meat to enable us to keep it for longer without it going bad. I don’t think the fact it’s preserved is the issue – the issue is how it’s preserved – and there are a lot of differences here.

Traditionally, bacon would have been preserved using salt, but since we’ve all got so worried about the wrong things being unhealthy, we now avoid sodium like the plague – so many modern techniques use ingredients that are a long way from natural, to preserve the meat.

If you’ve looked at the ingredients on packs on bacon, you’ll have seen huge differences. Looking at my local store, they offer bacon with contents between 83% and 95% pork – clearly the lower pork content bacon is to be given a wide berth.

But what about the other ingredients in packages bacon? Here are the ingredients I found, in various quantities:

  • Water,
  • Salt,
  • Dextrose (Corn), Dextrose (Maize),
  • Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (Maize)
  • Sucrose, Sugar (yes – they add SUGAR to bacon!)
  • Mineral Salts (450, 451, 452),
  • Antioxidant (316),
  • Sodium Nitrite (250).
  • Food Acid (325)

But did you know you can get bacon uncured, without any of this? If you have a butcher like mine, you’ll be able to get pasture raised uncured bacon, without any of these additional ingredients.

What about nitrates?

Nitrates are a big talking point when it comes to bacon. Well, even unprocessed bacon contains nitrates naturally, and believe it or not celery is high in nitrates – and we don’t see warnings on sticks of celery. For more information on why dietary nitrates aren’t a bad thing – check out these studies: Inorganic Nitrate Suplementation Lowers Blood Pressure in Humans: Role for Nitrite-Derived NO Hypertension, 2010, 56, 274-271 and Dietary Inorganic Nitrate Improves Mitochondrial Efficiency in Humans.Cell Metabolism, 2011, 13, 149-159.

As for the sodium, when you eat a natural paleo diet – it’s often actually a good thing to get more sodium into your diet.

And the fat content?

Of course, a huge argument against bacon is the saturated fat content. Yes, bacon is a lot higher in fat than turkey. But I don’t need to tell you why eating fat is not a problem, do I?

What do you think about bacon? Do you eat it often? Where do you get yours?

Recipe Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup paleo-min

Recipe: Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup

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Ever tried Kielbasa? Biala Kielbasa is a Polish smoked sausage traditionally made with pork, and seasoned with garlic and marjoram before being smoked. If you can find it – and it sticks to its traditional Polish routes, chances are it will be paleo – but make sure you check the ingredients. This is a really flavoursome soup- and completely paleo!

Recipe Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup paleo-min

Recipe: Kielbasa and Cabbage Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soups
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Ingredients
  • Drop of coconut oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 clove crushed garlic
  • 120g (1/4 lb) Kielbasa (or substitute with another smoke sausage)
  • 5 tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ shredded cabbage
  • ½ litre (2 cups) chicken stock
  • dash of apple cider vinegar
  • pinch paprika
  • bay leaf
  • Ground pepper & sea salt
Instructions
  1. ) Put the coconut oil in a pan, and over a medium heat cook the onion, carrots, garlic and sausage. You'll want to cook these until the onions start to soften.
  2. ) Add in the tomatoes, cabbage, chicken stock and apple cider vinegar
  3. ) Cover the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. If it gets too dry, add more stock or water.
  4. ) Add in the paprika, bay leaf and seasoning and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. ) Remove the bay leaf, serve and enjoy.

Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes

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Warning: these are not pancakes as you expect them to be. When I created this recipe, I had no idea how to define the crisp, flavour packed savoury parcels of eggy goodness I had just created. In all honesty, they probably lie somewhere between a pancake, a fritter and a mini omelette. But the important part is they’re nutritious, colourful, and damn tasty. Make a batch for the whole family for the perfect weekend breakfast.

Recipe: Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes
 
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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
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Ingredients
  • • 1 smoked haddock fillet
  • • 6 mushrooms, finely diced
  • • 1 red onion, diced
  • • Large handful spinach, chopped
  • • Coconut Oil
  • • 8 large, free range eggs
  • • ¼ cup + 1tbsp coconut flour
  • • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • • Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat a little coconut oil in a large frying pan. Add the haddock fillet, and fry for around 5 minutes on both sides – until cooked through. Remove the fish from the pan, which can stay on the heat. Remove the skin and flake with a fork.
  2. Return the flaked haddock to the pan and add the mushrooms and red onion. Cook for 2 / 3 minutes, until the mushrooms have reduced. Add the spinach and cook for a further 30 seconds or so until lightly wilted. Pour pan contents into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coconut flour, cider vinegar, sodium bicarbonate and salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly until lump free, before pouring the contents into the large bowl containing the haddock.
  4. Return the pan to the heat and add a little extra coconut oil. Scoop around ⅛th of the mixture into the pan to form one pancake, and repeat for as many as you can fit comfortably in the pan – you’ll probably have to cook them in batches. Cook for 3 minutes each side, until golden brown and well risen. Serve immediately!

Crispy Smoked Haddock and Mushroom Egg Pancakes paleo recipe-min