If you enjoy adding a side of bacon or sausage to your fried egg breakfast or Sunday brunch omelet, you’re not alone. According to Statista, over 268 million Americans consumed bacon in 2020, and nearly 14 million Americans ate 5 pounds or more of sausage. Whether your preference is bacon or sausage, you likely choose one over the other for taste and texture. But if you were open to switching your side order, is one healthier than the other?
Using the term “healthy” when comparing bacon and sausage can be misleading, as both are processed meats. Health experts view consuming processed meats as part of an unhealthy lifestyle. This is due to the chemicals found in processed meats that are linked to serious health issues, like heart disease and high blood pressure. Processed meats include any meat that has been cured, smoked, salted, dried, or canned, such as bacon and sausage (via Healthline). In 2020, the International Agency for Research on Cancer revealed more concerning news — new data indicated that consuming processed meats increased the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.
Does this mean there is no healthy reason to eat bacon or sausage?
Which meat should you eat?
Despite health experts’ warnings about processed meats, bacon and sausage do offer some nutrients that the body needs. Perhaps the most apparent nutrient is protein. According to SFGate, there are 29 grams of protein in a 3-ounce serving of bacon, compared to 13 grams in a serving of sausage. Based on this information, bacon takes the lead if protein is your reason for indulging.
Bacon and sausage also provide vitamin B12, an important nutrient that aids your body’s production of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen. Vitamin B12 also protects against nerve damage. As per SFGate, both bacon and sausage contain similar amounts of vitamin B12. They also have comparable levels of iron, a nutrient that is also involved in hemoglobin production.
While sausage and bacon do offer some health benefits, the negatives often outweigh the positives. Both are high in unhealthy saturated fat, which can affect your blood cholesterol, and they are also high in sodium. A serving of bacon contains 1,461 milligrams of sodium, while a serving of sausage contains 665 milligrams. This is a significant portion of the 2,300-milligram daily limit recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
If you’re not ready to give up your side of sausage or bacon, try consuming it in moderation to enjoy the benefits while avoiding the downsides. Opt for lower-fat and lower-sodium options whenever possible.
