It’s true. Many people still cling to the outdated and oft disproved notion that bacon and eggs are bad for you and persist with thinking that fruits like bananas, pineapple, and drinking orange juice is better for you. They couldn’t be more wrong.
Let’s take a look at the government’s own nutrition facts for a banana.
|
1 medium (7″ to 7-7/8″ long) (118 g)
|
| Calories 105 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0.4 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0.1 g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 1 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 422 mg | 12% |
| Total Carbohydrate 27 g | 9% |
| Dietary fiber 3.1 g | 12% |
| Sugar 14 g | |
| Protein 1.3 g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 1% | Vitamin C | 17% |
| Calcium | 0% | Iron | 1% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | Vitamin B-6 | 20% |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0% | Magnesium | 8% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
Let’s take a look at the nutrition for a can of Coca Cola.
| Nutrition Facts Coca Cola |
||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Serving Per Container | ||
| Serving Size | 1 Can | |
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Calories | 140 | |
| % Daily Value | ||
| Total Fat 0g | 0% | |
| Sodium 45mg | 2% | |
| Total Carbohydrates39g | 14% | |
| Total Sugars 39g | ||
| Includes 39 Added Sugars | 78% | |
| Protein 0g | % | |
| Vitamin D | 0% | |
| Calcium | 0% | |
| Iron | 0% | |
| Potassium | 0% | |
Not a significant source of fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium.
Caffeine Content: 34 mg/12 fl oz
How about a look at a glass of orange juice in comparison.
|
1 cup (248 g)
|
| Calories 111 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0.5 g | 0% |
| Saturated fat 0.1 g | 0% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 0.1 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium 496 mg | 14% |
| Total Carbohydrate 26 g | 8% |
| Dietary fiber 0.5 g | 2% |
| Sugar 21 g | |
| Protein 1.7 g | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 9% | Vitamin C | 206% |
| Calcium | 2% | Iron | 2% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | Vitamin B-6 | 5% |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0% | Magnesium | 6% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
So. From a calories standpoint, a medium banana or a cup of orange juice EACH has nearly the same calories as a can of Coca Cola. When we look at grams of sugar, it gets even scarier:
- Medium banana: 27g
- Glass of OJ: 26g
- Can of Coca Cola: 39g
To put that into perspective, when I’m doing the Keto diet, I take in between 20-30g of sugar FOR THE ENTIRE DAY. So, if you have a banana and a glass of OJ, you’re at over 53g of sugar, and you’re just getting started!
I’ve talked extensively in the past about how sugar is metabolized by the liver with help from the pancreas to turn it into energy the body can use. The excess sugar is turned into fat to store for later, and when we get these shocks of excessive energy, we tend to gain weight through the fat storage. The body is only doing what it’s designed to do. It’s up to use to use it properly.
Oh, I know what you’re thinking: “What about bacon and eggs?” Here are the nutritional labels for each.
Bacon, pan-fried
|
Amount Per 1 slice cooked (8 g) |
| Calories 43 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 3.3 g | 5% |
| Saturated fat 1.1 g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 0.4 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 1.5 g | |
| Trans fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 9 mg | 3% |
| Sodium 137 mg | 5% |
| Potassium 45 mg | 1% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0.1 g | 0% |
| Dietary fiber 0 g | 0% |
| Sugar 0 g | |
| Protein 3 g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 0% | Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 0% | Iron | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0% | Vitamin B-6 | 0% |
| Vitamin B-12 | 1% | Magnesium | 0% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
Egg, fried
|
Amount Per 1 large (46 g) |
| Calories 90 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 7 g | 10% |
| Saturated fat 2 g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated fat 1.5 g | |
| Monounsaturated fat 2.8 g | |
| Trans fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 184 mg | 61% |
| Sodium 95 mg | 3% |
| Potassium 70 mg | 2% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0.4 g | 0% |
| Dietary fiber 0 g | 0% |
| Sugar 0.2 g | |
| Protein 6 g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 7% | Vitamin C | 0% |
| Calcium | 2% | Iron | 4% |
| Vitamin D | 10% | Vitamin B-6 | 5% |
| Vitamin B-12 | 6% | Magnesium | 1% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
I typically eat two eggs and two slices of bacon which gives me roughly a calorie total of 270 calories. Contrary to what we’ve been told, I don’t worry about the cholesterol intake because I know that:
- Cholesterol imbibed orally does not “stick to your arteries.” Our bodies are far more complex than that.
- If I eat too much cholesterol, the body gets rid of it. Have you ever had the runs after eating too much fatty food? I have.
So, it’s worth looking at the food you currently think is healthy and really look at what that food is doing to your body and how your body uses it. Bacon and eggs is 100 times better (by my count) than eating a bowl of bananas and pineapples with orange juice.
