If you’re a vegetarian, I’m sure you’ve heard tons of your friends say something like, “I could totally be a vegetarian, but BACON!” It may seem funny, but for many people, bacon is a serious addiction – one that they find difficult to give up. In fact, many people who decide to become vegetarian at one point in their lives actually go back to eating meat because of bacon!
So, next time you hear someone say that they just couldn’t give up bacon, hit them with one (or several) of the facts below:
- More than half of the calories in bacon are fat. And half of those fat calories are saturated. This is not good for the ol’ ticker (or those love handles).
- Bacon has outrageous amounts of sodium. And when you have too much sodium that can lead to other issues, such as high blood pressure. Good luck with that next doctor’s appointment!
- Studies have found correlations between processed meats and a higher risk for heart disease and cancer. Is bacon really worth it?
- Many pigs are horribly mistreated and often live in small concrete cells with no outside interaction. These pigs are more likely to get you sick. And since there are only a small percentage a free range pigs, you are probably eating the ones that are sad and tortured. Tasty huh?
- Bacon and other processed meats may cause a lower sperm count in men. So if you’re having trouble getting pregnant you may have to tell him to lay off the bacon.
- Pigs are ADORABLE! (Proceed to show them a picture of a baby pig in boots and you’re golden.)
Like any habit, bacon can be hard to give up – at first. But when you understand how bad it is for you and those cute little piggies, it gets easier and easier to pass up. And, thanks to more and more people becoming vegetarian, the fake-bacon products on the market are actually really, really good.
