SparkPeople Slideshows

9 Healthier Ways to Enjoy Bacon

  • Use Bacon for Flavor

    Cooked bacon packs a ton of crispy, salty, smoky goodness, making it a terrific flavor addition to add to all kinds of dishes, from soups to salads to pastas. Think of bacon as a flavoring, and you'll be more likely to use it sparingly. Just one 45-calorie slice of bacon goes a long way when crumbled into a dish.

  • Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

    This classic 1970s bacon party appetizer--known as rumaki--has gotten a healthy makeover. The secret ingredient? Barbecue sauce!

  • Better-for-You Breakfast Sandwich

    This easy bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich is faster (and healthier) than the drive-thru version. Add spinach and tomato to boost the nutrition.

  • BLT Salad

    The key to this tasty salad is the dressing, which combines low-fat mayonnaise, garlic, chives and grated fresh tomato. It's tangy and creamy, the perfect supporting player. A big pile of chopped lettuce, additional chopped tomato, toasted croutons and crumbled bacon make a great salad, at just 150 calories. Get the recipe.

  • Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

    This variation of the classic salad with bacon dressing gets lightened up thanks to a hint of artificial sweetener; reduce the bacon from 6 slices to 4 to save a few more calories.

  • Pasta with Vegetables & Bacon

    Bacon plays a supporting role in this easy and flexible veggie pasta recipe. But a little bit goes a long way, giving lively flavor to an otherwise plain pasta dish. Get the recipe.

    Photo courtesy of writes4food.com.


  • Healthier BLT Sandwich

    This healthy BLT might better be called a TLB--with the emphasis on thick slices of perfectly ripe tomato. Use a good whole-grain bread, toast it well, and stack on three slices of cooked bacon, a generous pile of sliced tomato and lots of chopped crisp lettuce. Instead of mayo, swap in avocado for healthy fats and creamy goodness.

  • Apple-Glazed Carrots with Bacon

    Baby carrots simmer in a braise of apple-cider vinegar and brown sugar; crumbled bacon and snipped chives on top add a pop of flavor.
    Get the recipe.

  • Creamy Fettuccine with Shrimp and Bacon

    Sounds like a calorie disaster, but this healthy pasta recipe has just 400 calories per serving. Bacon takes a back seat in this dish, which features peas and carrots and uses the bacon drippings to sauté fresh shrimp. Get the recipe.

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9 Healthier Ways to Enjoy Bacon

by Bryn Mooth, SparkPeople Contributor
Unless you've been living on a deserted island the past few years, you've noticed the bacon trend. Bacon is everywhere: at food festivals, in chocolate and milkshakes--even as a toothpaste flavor! We can't get enough of our beloved bacon.

But piling bacon strips onto a giant cheeseburger isn't the only option for true bacon lovers. Here are nine ways to bring bacon back to your plate in a healthful and delicious way.

Start Slideshow

Use Bacon for Flavor

Cooked bacon packs a ton of crispy, salty, smoky goodness, making it a terrific flavor addition to add to all kinds of dishes, from soups to salads to pastas. Think of bacon as a flavoring, and you'll be more likely to use it sparingly. Just one 45-calorie slice of bacon goes a long way when crumbled into a dish.