In this guide, we'll discuss sugar-free bacon options for the best bacon for keto, the fat content and grams of protein in a slice of bacon, and how to incorporate bacon into your low carb diet. We'll also share our favorite low carb recipes that use bacon! The perfect guide for a bacon lover!
It's no secret that keto dieters love their bacon! It's probably safe to say that bacon is the favorite food of a lot of people following a low-carb diet and it's definitely been on of our favorite ingredients to add to recipes such as our Keto Breakfast Fat Bombs which are a delicious blend of cream cheese, egg, and crispy bacon bits and our Keto Cheeseburger Soup with Bacon!
Not all bacon is super keto-friendly though. You want to be sure to choose a sugar-free bacon.
Jump to:
Best Bacon for Keto
When it comes to sugar-free bacon brands, there are a few that stand out as the best for keto diets and they all have zero added sugar. Here are our top picks:
- Applegate Organics No Sugar Uncured Bacon
- Pederson’s Natural Farms Organic No Sugar Added Uncured Smoked Bacon
- Simple Truth No Sugar Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon
These three brands offer sugar-free bacon that is perfect for those on a ketogenic diet. Each brand uses high-quality ingredients and provides a delicious, sugar-free option for those looking to enjoy bacon without all the sugar.
If you're looking for the best sugar-free bacon for your keto diet, look no further than these three brands. You won't be disappointed! However, there are numerous brands out there and your local grocery store may differ from ours so keep reading on to learn more about the best bacon for keto!
There are many brands out there that offer sugar free bacon, but not all are created equal. When it comes to finding the best sugar free bacon for your keto diet, there are a few things you should look for.
First, you want to make sure the bacon is uncured. Uncured means that the bacon doesn't contain added nitrates or nitrites. Instead, it relies on natural ingredients such as cultured celery powder and sea salt during the curing process.
Second, you want to make sure the bacon is smoked. This gives it a delicious smoky flavor that pairs well with many keto dishes.
🥓 Types of keto bacon
When it comes to bacon, there are several different types. The three most popular types of bacon are:
- pork bacon
- turkey bacon
- beef bacon
There are also vegan plant-based alternatives such as tempeh bacon.
Pork bacon is the most popular type of bacon and is what most people think of when they think of bacon. Pork bacon is made from pork belly and is typically smoked or cured. Turkey bacon is a leaner option and is made from ground turkey meat. Beef bacon is made from beef brisket and has a more robust flavor than pork or turkey bacon.
How bacon is made
Bacon is made by curing pork belly with salt, sugar (typically), and spices. The pork belly is then smoked or cooked to perfection. Bacon can be eaten alone or used as an ingredient in recipes.
Thick cut bacon vs regular
There are two main slice types of bacon: thick cut and regular. As the name implies, thick-cut bacon is thicker than regular bacon.
This means that it takes longer to cook and has a higher fat content.
Thick-cut is what we opt for when serving bacon slices as a side dish. For recipes like our Jalapeño Popper Chicken that get wrapped in bacon (side note: wouldn't a pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and served with green beans just be the perfect dinner?), regular cut is the way to go as it cooks more evenly.
What about Canadian bacon?
Canadian bacon comes from the back, while American bacon comes from the belly. So, Canadian and American bacon have different textures and fat contents. Canadian bacon is a lean cut, while American bacon is a fattier cut. Both are keto-friendly.
Why choose uncured bacon?
Uncured bacon is a healthier option because it does not contain nitrates or nitrites. These chemicals are added to cured bacon to extend its shelf life but have been linked to cancer.
What is a nitrate you ask? A nitrate is a compound that contains nitrogen and oxygen and is found in many foods. They naturally occur in foods like celery but when added to foods in excess, they can cause a host of health issues.
Choosing uncured bacon is an easy swap for a healthy keto diet.
How many slices of bacon can you eat on keto?
Yes, that's a real question we get often 🤦 The short answer is that the number of strips of bacon you eat depends on your goals and macronutrient intake.
Nutritional breakdown of bacon
Bacon is a high-fat, low-carb food. A single slice of sugar-free regular bacon contains*:
- Calories: 43
- Fat: 3.5g
- Protein: 3g
- Carbs: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 0g
*this breakdown is of generic bacon, the values will differ from brand to brand.
As you can see, bacon is mostly fat with a small amount of protein and zero net carbs. This makes it a great option for those on a ketogenic diet. Bacon also has about 137 milligrams of sodium per slice. This can be helpful when starting a keto diet as the initial loss of water weight can throw off your electrolyte balance and sodium helps with that.
Now that we've answered all your bacon questions, it's time to get cooking! Check out our favorite keto recipes that feature bacon below!
Easy keto recipes with bacon
Looking for a great way to use bacon? Here are some of our recipes that feature bacon:
- Keto Millionaires Bacon - a delicious next level recipe for those who love sweet and savory together.
- Hot Bacon Dressing - your salad greens will thank you! Also delicious for drizzling on a keto burger wrapped in lettuce wraps
- Spicy Gouda Bacon Dip - great for sharing, the whole family will love it!
- Shishito Peppers with Bacon - a fantastic side dish
- Oven Bacon - great for meal prep!
- Fried Cabbage and Bacon - the cabbage gets cooked in bacon grease for one delicious side dish
- Bacon and Shrimp Chowder - yum, we just love this combo of bacon and shrimp together, our version of surf and turf
- Bacon Roasted Butternut Squash - a popular recipe for those who love bacon, it's perfect for fall!
- Bacon Brown Sugar Chicken Bites - a super poppable snack that's perfect for game day!
- Jalapeño Bacon Meatloaf with Bacon - ground beef + bacon and cream cheese = heaven
- Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Taco Shells - thank us later and serve them up with our keto taco meat, the cheddar cheese + bacon is a go-to combo
- Mushroom Jalapeño Poppers - we love this spin on traditional poppers!
And we're sure there are many more than a few we've missed but these recipes are our most popular recipes made with bacon! We also recommend saving your bacon grease / bacon fat for use in recipes that call for olive oil or other cooking oils, such an easy way to add flavor to recipes!
To recap, bacon is a good option for the keto diet but you'll want to make sure you choose a brand of bacon that is sugar free, especially if you eat a lot of bacon. Good bacon should also be uncured to avoid nitrates so always opt for high quality natural bacon.
Leave a Reply