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Cooking with Pork
Bacon
Bacon - one of the hottest pork products today - is no longer just for breakfast, on a BLT or sprinkled over salads. Savory, decadent bacon is now an essential flavor-boost ingredient in everything from casseroles and candy to cookies!
Bacon may not be one of the leanest pork cuts, but it can easily fit into any healthier eating plan. Just balance bacon calories with other recipe ingredients or foods that are nutrient-rich, like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Since bacon is so flavorful, a moderate amount goes a long way when seasoning and flavoring.
Tasty Balance Tip: Give these traditional bacon favorites a nutrient-rich makeover and savor the bacon!
Nine Nutrient-Rich Ways with Bacon
- Soups and Stews - add a little crumbled bacon to bean, lentil and vegetable soups and beef and pork stews filled with vegetables.
- Grilled Cheese - make grilled cheese with whole-grain bread, 2% reduced fat cheese, thinly sliced apples and a couple slices of bacon.
- Salads – add chopped or crumbled bacon to spinach salad or tossed mixed greens salad chock-full of bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and other nutrient-rich veggies.
- BLT – make this ubiquitous summer sandwich with whole-wheat bread, light mayonnaise, extra tomato slices and spinach leaves for extra nutrients along with the decadent bacon.
- Burgers – build a better burger by using lean ground beef, turkey or pork, whole-grain hamburger buns, romaine lettuce leaves, extra tomato and onion slices and a couple slices of bacon.
- Vegetables – season green beans, carrots, zucchini, sugar snap peas and other steamed or microwave vegetables with a little bacon.
- Baked Beans – keep the crumbled bacon and boost antioxidant content in that family favorite baked bean recipe by adding extra canned great northern or white beans and lots of chopped onion and garlic.
- Sandwich Wraps - Stuff whole wheat flour tortillas with mixed greens, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions, lean ham or turkey and a little crumbled bacon.
- Eggs – sprinkle crumbled bacon on protein-rich scrambled eggs or in omelets filled with broccoli, mushrooms and chopped onion.
Super Timesaver Tip: Instead of the traditional stovetop skillet method, cook bacon in the oven on a cooling rack over a foil-lined large rimmed bacon sheet to allow fat to drip or drain off while cooking. No splattering and popping all over your stovetop…and no messy cleanup!