Is Canadian Bacon Keto-Friendly?

Canadian bacon is keto-friendly. However, it is categorized as a lazy keto food. That means it is low in carbohydrates but contains unhealthy and potentially harmful ingredients that do not benefit your overall health. It’s best to select clean keto foods.

Lazy Keto

• Canadian bacon, also known as back bacon, is considered a lazy keto food.
• There are two types of the ketogenic diet – lazy (or dirty) and clean keto. The key difference between the two is that clean keto ensures your body receives essential nutrients for optimal health, while lazy keto isn’t ideal for your health. 
• A lazy keto diet consists of mostly highly processed and packaged foods. These foods tend to be high in saturated fats, sodium, and additives that can be harmful to your health when eaten frequently. While you can still enter ketosis with lazy keto, it will not promote a healthy heart and body like whole and nutritious foods. 
• A clean keto diet prioritizes quality food and aims to limit the intake of processed meats, including Canadian bacon, bacon, bologna, corned beef, and hot dogs. 

Low in Fats

• Canadian bacon contains far less fat than regular bacon because it is a leaner cut of meat. It has only 2.62g of fat per 100g. You need to eat lots of fats from healthy sources to keep your body in ketosis and actively burn stubborn fat. 

Low in Carbs

• Canadian bacon is a low-carb food, with just 1.34g of total and net carbs.
• However, just because something is low-carb does not mean you should consume it every time you’re hungry. While Canadian bacon is leaner than the regular kind, it is still a processed food containing high amounts of sodium. 
• You can include Canadian bacon in your keto diet, but there are healthier meats available. Good examples include duck, ground pork, lamb, and pork belly.

May Contain Additives

• A problem with lazy keto foods is that they often contain unhealthy additives. Canadian bacon and other processed meats may contain the food additives potassium nitrate and sodium nitrite. These are responsible for the meat’s color.  
• Nitrates pose a health risk as they may contribute to heart disease and cancer.