Medically Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on August 23, 2022
Question 1/12

Which has more calories?

  • Four strips of bacon
  • Two scrambled eggs

Four sizzling strips of pan-fried bacon have 173 calories. Two large scrambled eggs have 182 calories. But that doesn't mean you should pig out on pork. Bacon is high in saturated fat and sodium. Four slices of some brands have nearly half an adult's recommended daily limit of sodium. By the way, just microwaving bacon will still give you 173 calories.

Question 2/12

People began eating bacon in

  • The 1800s
  • The 1200s
  • 7000 B.C.

Raising pigs for food dates back to 7000 B.C. in the Middle East. Some historians say that bacon made from immature hogs was a favorite of the early Romans and Greeks. About 500 years ago, bacon or bacoun (a Middle English term) referred to all pork.

Question 3/12

Which part of the pig does bacon come from?

  • Leg
  • Shoulder
  • Belly

The word “bacon” refers to the cured belly of a hog. But bacon can come from a pig’s side, belly, and back. Canadian bacon comes from pork loin. It can even come from other animals, like a turkey. Most of the bacon sold in the U.S. is "streaky" bacon. You know, those long striped slices of pink meat within white fat. Those are from the hog's belly. 

Question 4/12

Which do people eat more at home?

  • Bacon
  • Sausage

Americans actually eat more sausage, but only slightly more. Sausage accounts for 19.8% of the pork Americans eat at home, and bacon is 18.1%. Ham is the most popular pork product, at 31%. Bacon, however, takes first prize when it comes to filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma.

Question 5/12

How much bacon can you get from a 265-pound pig?

  • 15 pounds
  • 30 pounds
  • 45 pounds

A 265-pound pig produces about 15 pounds of cured bacon. The pig will also give pork aficionados nearly 8 pounds of spare ribs and 28.5 pounds of cured ham.

Question 6/12

Pork is a

  • White meat
  • Red meat

Pork becomes lighter when it’s cooked, but it’s actually a red meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A protein called myoglobin determines the color of meat. Pork has more myoglobin than chicken or fish, so it’s considered a red meat. If you think pork is “the other white meat,” thank the National Pork Board. It began that campaign to combat pork’s reputation as a fatty protein.

Question 7/12

Bacon can cause

  • Swine flu
  • Migraines
  • Seizures

Bacon, salami, pepperoni, and other processed meats have high levels of nitrates and can trigger migraines in some people. These foods can dilate blood vessels, causing a pain message to be sent back to the brain. If you get a migraine within a day or two of eating bacon, limit it for 4 weeks and keep track of your headaches.

Question 8/12

If you are pregnant, you should avoid bacon.

  • True
  • False

Although it’s doubtful that a doctor would tell a pregnant woman to gorge on bacon, it is rich in an essential nutrient called choline. Choline plays a vital role in the normal development of the brain, and studies show that pregnancy lowers a woman’s reserves. Other healthier (but less sizzling) foods that are high in choline include wheat germ, eggs, and edamame.

Question 9/12

Along with bacon lip balm, bacon floss, and bacon soap, you can buy:

  • Bacon toothpaste
  • Bacon cologne
  • Both

If you love the smell of bacon so much that you want to actually smell like bacon, Fargginay has a solution that won’t require you to dab bacon grease on your neck or wrists. The company’s bacōn Gold cologne offers a "sizzling citrus aroma with a slight hint of bacon." To keep your breath meaty fresh, try Mr. Bacon’s bacon-flavored toothpaste. Your co-workers will love you.

Question 10/12

You can cure bacon at home.

  • True
  • False

Making your own bacon will give you more control over its flavor, but it's not a snap: You’ll need: 

  • Fresh pork belly, sugar, salt, and spices for your cure
  • A place to dry and smoke your bacon 
  • Plenty of time -- curing can take 7 days

Question 11/12

Who introduced presliced, packaged bacon to the U.S.?

  • George A. Hormel
  • Joseph W. Luter
  • Oscar Mayer

Before Bavarian immigrant Oscar Mayer began selling presliced, packaged bacon in 1924, Americans were making their own bacon or buying it from butchers by the slab. Mayer’s first bacon packaging had shingled slices of the meat wrapped in cellophane and placed on a cardboard frame. This innovative idea transformed Mayer from a minor bacon producer to a top brand.

Question 12/12

Who inspired a life-size bust made out of bacon bits?

  • Sir Francis Bacon
  • Kevin Bacon
  • Delia Bacon

Actor Kevin Bacon, the inspiration for the trivia game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, was the muse for a life-size bust made from bacon bits. In 2010, the owners of J&D’s Foods -- which makes bacon salt and other products -- asked sculptor Mike LaHue to make the bust to raise money for a childhood cancer charity. LaHue made Bacon Kevin Bacon in 3 months, using six or seven bottles of bacon bits.

Show Sources

IMAGE PROVIDED BY:

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SOURCES:

American Headache Society: “Controversies in Headache Medicine: Migraine Prevention Diets.”

American Heart Association: “A Grain of Salt,” “Making Fast Food Friendlier.”

American Institute for Cancer Research: “In the News: Bacon, Cigarettes, and Cancer.”

Center for Science in the Public Interest: “Salt Assault, Brand-name comparisons of Processed Foods.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Migraines in Children.”

Fargginay: “Bacon Gold.”

Godshalls: “Canadian Turkey Bacon.”

J&D’s Foods: “Bacon Kevin Bacon.”

Mike LaHue, sculptor.

Lauer, H. Bacon: A Love Story, William Morrow, 2010.

National Pork Board: “Bacon Foodservice Sales Top 1.7 Billion Lbs. Annually,” “Bacon Trends,” “Pork Facts,” “Quick Facts.”

Royal Bacon Society: “Mr. Bacon’s 2.5 oz bacon flavored toothpaste.”

University of Missouri Extension: “Home Curing Bacon for a Mild Flavor.”

U.S. Department of Agriculture: “Bacon and Food Safety.”

USDA, Data Nutrient Library: “Egg, whole, cooked, scrambled,” “Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved,” “Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, pan-fried.”

Zeisel, S. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, December 2004.

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