by Jennifer Hinders

Created on: March 14, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2009

Move over turkey bacon; let's chew the fat. Although turkey bacon was an ingenious idea for health conscious dieters, someone forgot to think about flavor. Without a doubt, regular pork bacon tastes a thousand times better than turkey bacon. Let's explore the reasons why.

Turkey bacon looks odd in its package. Instead of a normal bacon color, turkey bacon has a grayish brown color with a hint of pink around the edges. The color is unappetizing and looks like an over processed meat.

Real pork bacon, on the other hand, is a deep red color with flavorful streaks of fat throughout the package. Bacon comes in flavors like hickory smoked or brown sugar. Regular bacon boasts of a juicy, nutty flavor that is so familiar to meat lovers.

Turkey bacon is made from thigh meat which has been processed and ground into strips. Turkey bacon must be fried; it doesn't cook well in the microwave.

Turkey bacon can be baked on parchment paper on a cookie sheet in the oven. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for ten minutes. The turkey bacon comes out a bit chewy, but otherwise acceptable. Some brands of turkey bacon taste and look better than others. One observer stated that turkey bacon reminded him of a dog treat. I rest my case.

Real pork bacon can be fried or cooked in the microwave. Real bacon retains its meaty juiciness after cooking. Real pork bacon is crisp and satisfying. Microwave the pork bacon between a couple of layers of paper towels to remove some of the grease.

Another practical option for cooking pork bacon is to bake it at 350 to 400 degrees for about eight to ten minutes. This is the easiest way to cook the regular bacon, because you don't have to keep checking it constantly. Try topping casseroles or salads with crumbled up, crispy regular pork bacon. Delicious!

Both turkey bacon and regular pork bacon have nitrates, phosphates and other preservatives. Turkey bacon is bit higher in sodium than real bacon. The total number of ingredients on the label of the turkey bacon is longer; which is a bit of a concern. Fat is the biggest issue for the healthy turkey bacon supporters, but actually some brands of turkey bacon have the same amount of fat as regular bacon.

Regular pork bacon definitely tastes better than turkey bacon. Turkey bacon is a poor substitute for regular pork bacon. The facts seem clear enough in this debate. Most people prefer regular pork bacon to turkey bacon.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Hinders.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.