Baconmania affected by drought and dietary constraints

Baconmania photo by Ilea Johnson

Come next year, there will be fewer little piggies going to market based on grain supplies needed to feed them. Bad news for folks who love the taste of bacon.

But maybe less pork in one's diet will be a good thing.

Recently I attended a Lowering Cholesterol class sponsored by the Kaiser Foundation. As part of the course, "Cholesterol Basics" was the textbook used.

"The key to better heart health is to select meats that are lower in saturated fat... Avoid meats that contain a lot of fat or cholesterol, such as bacon, bologna, salami, sausage, and hot dogs." 

History of bacon in African American diet

Hog photo by Tomi Johnson

Pork bacon used to be a food staple in African American diets during slavery. Sometimes slaves only were given pieces of bacon to take to the fields to consume for lunch. This food was not fresh or refrigerated. Slaves had to eat something, though, and eating bacon was a means of survival.

I guess we should pay less attention to our acquired taste for bacon and more attention to Leviticus 11:7 - "And the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you."

My recommendation: If you just can't wean yourself off bacon for breakfast, chose turkey bacon cooked in a little pork bacon grease. Or at least eat in moderation the leanest bacon you can afford. You'd be surprised at what you can do to improve your health. You are what you eat!  

Hog family by Ilea Johnson

©2012 Tomi Johnson. All rights reserved.