Officials from around the world have warned that processed meat, like rashers, burgers, and sausages, is just as likely to cause cancer as cigarettes.
It also said that red meat is “probably carcinogenic,” which is one rank lower, but it did say that it does have some health benefits.
If you eat just 50 grams of processed meat every day, the World Health Organization says your risk of getting bowel cancer goes up by 18%. 50g of meat is equal to two store-bought ham slices, 10 chorizo slices, and half a hot dog, or 1. 7 meatballs or an eighth of a pack of chicken roll.
The debate between chorizo and bacon has been raging for ages. These tasty cured meats are staples in many diets, but is one truly better for you?
As a long-time fan of both chorizo and bacon I decided to dig into the nutrition to uncover which is healthier. Keep reading for a full comparison of calories fat, sodium, and more.
Chorizo 101: A Spicy Spanish Sausage
First, what exactly is chorizo? This spice-infused sausage hails from Spanish and Portuguese cuisines Authentic chorizo is made by coarsely chopping pork and seasoning it boldly with paprika, garlic, salt, and other spices. The mixture is then stuffed into casings and cured.
Mexican-style chorizo uses a fresh, unfermented sausage blend. Spanish-style chorizo is fermented and dried to develop tangy flavor. Both make excellent taco fillings, pizza toppings, breakfast links, and more.
Now let’s look at the nutritional value of chorizo. A 3.5 oz serving contains around 455 calories, 14.4 grams saturated fat, and 3,500 mg sodium. It also packs a whopping 24 grams protein.
So while chorizo is high in calories and sodium, its stellar protein content offers some nutritional benefit.
Bacon Breakdown: The Classic Pork Cure
Of course, we can’t compare chorizo without considering the almighty bacon! This beloved breakfast meat is made by curing pork belly in salt, then often smoking it for flavor. The result is irresistibly savory, salty, and crisp cured pork.
Nutritionally, two slices of pan-fried bacon contain about 80-90 calories, 5 grams fat, and 500-800 mg sodium. The protein content is lower than chorizo at around 6 grams per serving.
Bacon does contain less calories and fat than chorizo. However, it can still be high in sodium.
Comparing Nutrition: Calories, Fat, Sodium and More
Now, let’s directly compare the nutritional values of chorizo and bacon.
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Calories: Chorizo contains 455 calories per 3.5 oz serving, while bacon has 80-90 calories per two slices. Clearly, chorizo packs a bigger calorie punch.
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Total fat: Chorizo has 45 grams of total fat per 3.5 oz serving compared to 5 grams in two slices of bacon. Again, chorizo is the higher fat option.
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Saturated fat: Chorizo contains 14.4 grams saturated fat per serving versus 2.7 grams in bacon. So chorizo is higher in artery-clogging saturated fat.
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Sodium: Both meats are very high in sodium, with chorizo having 3,500 mg and bacon 500-800 mg per serving.
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Protein: Chorizo packs 24 grams of protein per 3.5 oz serving while bacon only has about 6 grams per two slices. Chorizo is the definite protein winner.
So in terms of calories, total fat, and saturated fat, bacon does have a slight edge over chorizo. However, chorizo contains much more protein. Both are very high in sodium.
Health Concerns and Cancer Risk
With their high sodium and fat contents, both chorizo and bacon do come with some health concerns. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats like chorizo and bacon as Group 1 carcinogens.
Studies suggest that frequently eating processed meats may increase your colorectal cancer risk by 18%. Heart disease and high blood pressure risks also rise with frequent processed meat consumption.
However, enjoying them occasionally as part of a veggie-rich diet is likely fine for most healthy adults. Those with heart disease or colorectal cancer risk may want to avoid processed meats altogether though.
Cooking and Serving Tips for Healthier Eating
Here are some tips for cooking and eating chorizo and bacon more healthfully:
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Opt for uncured turkey or chicken bacon less often for less saturated fat.
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Choose lower-sodium varieties and rinse/soak before cooking to remove excess salt.
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Cook in the oven on a rack to allow fat to drain instead of frying.
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Limit portions to 2-3 bacon strips or 1-2 oz chorizo max per serving.
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Balance with veggie sides like a spinach salad instead of carb-heavy foods.
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Avoid adding extra salt during cooking or at the table.
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Skip chorizo sausage for lower-fat ground turkey or vegan sausage crumbles.
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Use them as flavor boosters instead of main ingredients. A little goes a long way!
The Verdict: Can Chorizo Be Healthier Than Bacon?
In the battle of chorizo versus bacon, is one ultimately healthier than the other?
The answer isn’t black and white. While bacon contains slightly less calories and fat, chorizo packs a bigger protein punch. And both can be high in sodium.
From a cancer and heart disease standpoint, the WHO finds processed pork meats in general concerning with frequent high consumption.
Overall, bacon and chorizo eaten in moderation, alongside a veggie-focused diet, are unlikely to negatively impact health. But those at risk for certain cancers or heart disease may want to minimize intake.
As with most foods, your overall diet pattern matters more than single items. You can still enjoy the flavors of chorizo and bacon as part of a balanced diet, just in sensible portions.
So savor that bit of chorizo in your taco or sprinkling of bacon on your salad! With mindful eating habits, you don’t have to fully shun these tasty meats. A little chorizo or bacon here and there can totally fit into a healthy lifestyle. ¡Buen provecho!
THE NEW MEAT RULES
One sausage is equal to 50 grams of processed meat a day, according to the World Health Organization. This is 18% more likely to cause bowel cancer. So what does 50g look like?.
- Half a hot dog
- 1.7 shop bought meatballs
- 10 slices chorizo
- 2 slices smoked ham
- 1.5 slices cured ham
- One-eighth of a pack of chicken roll
- 5 slices of salami
- Half a pack of salt beef
New government rules from 2011 say that adults shouldn’t eat more than 70g of red or processed meat every day.
About one small sausage or two bacon strips a day, or one lamb chop every other day, this amount
According to what the WHO said yesterday, though, this is too high. The government may now lower it.
Since the report, experts are telling people to stay away from processed meat and eat a bean salad instead of a BLT for lunch.
The epidemiologist for Cancer Research UK at the University of Oxford, Professor Tim Key, said, “We’ve known for a while that there is a likely link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer, which is backed up by a lot of evidence.”
Doctor Tim Key, an epidemiologist for Cancer Research UK at the University of Oxford, is now telling people to stay away from processed meat and eat a bean salad instead of a BLT for lunch.
‘This decision doesnt mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat.
‘But if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down. This decision doesnt mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat. Prof. Tim Key, an epidemiologist at Cancer Research UK, says, “But if you eat a lot of it, you might want to think about cutting down.”
You might want to eat fish instead of sausages for dinner or a bean salad instead of a BLT for lunch.
One bacon bap every once in a while won’t hurt you too much; a healthy diet is all about moderation.
Cancer Research UK also told people to eat less bacon and sausages for breakfast, switch ham sandwiches for chicken or tuna, and make bolognaise with more beans or vegetables instead of beef.
Studies have also shown that people who eat a lot of red meat tend to eat fewer plant-based foods, which means they get less of the health benefits of those foods.
WHY IS PROCESSED MEAT SO BAD?
Processed meat is meat that has been smoked, salted, fermented, cured, or any other method used to improve flavor or keep it fresh longer.
These are things like ham, salami, chorizo, corned beef, biltong, and beef jerky. They also include canned meat and sauces and preparations made with meat.
Most ground beef from butcher shops and grocery stores isn’t counted, but sausages and burgers are, unless they’re made at home.
This is because natural or chemical preservatives are added in the process.
Sodium nitrite (E250) and sodium nitrate (E251) are salts that are added to processed meat to keep it fresh.
In the body, they turn into nitrites, where they can form compounds called nitrosamines that can damage DNA.
They are linked with a raised risk of acute leaukaemia.
A chemical called haem is found in red meat. It is part of haemoglobin, the molecule that brings oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues.
It is vital for development and normal cell functioning.
However, the World Cancer Research Fund warns it may damage the lining of the bowel.
A study published in 2011 in the journal Cancer Prevention Treatment found that eating red meat makes precancerous growths appear in the bowel.
It said that the exact reason for this wasn’t known, but that haem iron in the meat sped up the process by making N-nitroso compounds that can cause cancer.
When meat is fried, roasted or grilled at high temperature, it can produce cancer-causing compounds.
The way people cook is a problem because burning something makes pyrolysins, which are known to change the colonic cells.
So if you are going to have a BBQ, dont burn the meat to death.
‘MEAT HAS BEEN DEMONISED,’ SAYS LEADING COLORECTAL SURGEON
Roger Leicester, Director of Endoscopy at St. George’s Hospital and director of the SW London Bowel Cancer Screening Program, says that meat has been used as an excuse.
Indeed, Mr. Leicester, who used to be the secretary of the British Society of Gastroenterology, says that giving up red meat is known to make people lose iron.
He claims that chocolate – full of sugar and fat – is a more likely cancer-causing culprit…
Because there hasn’t been any clear published evidence that lean red meat causes cancer, even though scientists and charities keep warning people not to eat it.
In fact, in my opinion, chocolate could be more of a danger, he told MailOnnline.
Much bigger problems are very high amounts of sugar and saturated fat, but no one ever tells us to give up chocolate, which is full of sugar and fat.
That would be too unpopular.
One doctor claims that chocolate – full of sugar and fat – is a more likely cancer-causing culprit…
Man is an omnivore. A lot of the time, I eat red meat. Four or five times a week, to be exact.
Delicious steaks and Sunday roast beef are always a good choice. On the weekends, bacon butties are often served.
I don’t think that any amount of lean red meat will be a problem, and we should follow the government’s advice and not eat more than 500g of red meat a week, which includes processed meat (70g a day).
Things people cook are a problem because when you burn something, pyrolysins are made, and we know that these change the colonic cells.
So if you are going to have a BBQ, dont burn the meat to death.
And when it comes to processed meat, remember it has a higher salt and fat content.
So have bacon or salami in moderation, and switch to lean red meat products.
What worries me is that with all the scare stories surrounding meat we are ignoring other risk factors
A lot of the people I see have constipation, which means that harmful substances in the stool are getting into the bowel. The longer a person has this problem, the worse the health damage gets.
If you cut back on sugar and fat in your food, you will lower your risk of bowel cancer and many other diseases that kill, like stroke and diabetes.
We get a lot of scary stories that tell us not to eat red meat, even though there is no proof that it does.
Highly Processed Meat Danger? It’s not what you think…
FAQ
Is chorizo good or bad for you?
Which is more unhealthy bacon or sausage?
Is chorizo OK for weight loss?
Is Mexican chorizo a processed meat?
Is chorizo good for You?
The protein in chorizo can also contribute to feelings of satiety, helping to curb overeating. However, given the high fat content of chorizo, it’s advisable to balance its intake with other lean protein sources in your diet. 2. Vitamin B12 Chorizo, like many other animal-based foods, is a significant source of vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin.
Taco vs Burrito: Which is healthier?
Taco and Burrito both are traditional Mexican dish consisting tortilla topped with different fillings. But the major difference is Tacos are small whereas Burritos are large meal. Both of these can be stated healthy if they are made without excess cheese and fats like cream. Better options are adding lots of greens and healthy fats like avocado.
Is chorizo a high calorie food?
In the tables below, you can see the full nutritional values for chorizo per 100 grams. The source of the nutrition data is the reliable NCC Food and Nutrient Database. As shown in the table, chorizo is a high-calorie food that offers large amounts of fat and protein. Does Chorizo Have Any Health Benefits?
Are there healthy alternatives to chorizo?
There are plenty of healthy alternatives to chorizo that can help you maintain both taste and nutrition. Whether you’re looking to eliminate meat from your diet or simply want to cut down on unhealthy sources of fat and preservatives, incorporating these options into your meals can make a big difference in your health.