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Dieting is hard, especially when you don't know where to start. You want to make sure that your meals are filled with lean proteins that will help fuel your body to burn calories. But, not all proteins are good for you. Most dieters make this common protein mistake when preparing breakfast for themselves, and it could even be making you gain weight! Do yourself and your waistline a favor and stop eating bacon for breakfast!
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Bacon is a popular breakfast protein, but most people don't realize how bad it is for them. One cooked slice of bacon can contain at least 42 calories, 3 grams of fat, and just under 200 milligrams of sodium. That's not totally bad, unless you have more than one piece. It's also lacking in fiber, which means that eating bacon won't help you full for long. It'll probably just make you consume more unhealthy foods throughout the day!
All of that sodium and fat from bacon can also lead to other health risks including high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease, so you want to make sure that you're consuming it in a healthy moderation. "The reason we recommend a limit on sodium is because it’s associated with a risk of high blood pressure as well as stroke, but what we do know is that diets high in saturated fat have been associated with an increased risk of heart disease," says Lisa Cimperman, a registered dietitian at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. "About 68% of the calories from bacon come from fat—and about half of those are from saturated fat—so it’s definitely not the healthiest meat you can choose."
In fact, you need to be wary of all processed breakfast meats if you're watching your weight. “Highly processed frozen meats such as pork sausages can be extremely packed with saturated fats, sodium, preservatives and even sugar,” Stacy Goldberg, a nutritionist at savorfull tells SheFinds.
So, do yourself a favor and stick to lean unprocessed proteins in the morning!