When I have bacon I cook at home I use the calorie count per serving according to the package. I also so very seldom have fried eggs that when I do I am not counting the bacon grease, I am just going to enjoy my two fried eggs and call it 140. 2 eggs cooked in bacon grease once in a blue moon won't make us gain weight. 2 fried eggs every morning cooked in bacon grease - that would be a different story. Enjoy the fried eggs and move on I say. JMO - I may feel different later, but for now I need to enjoy the journey.

Edited to add: According to fitday 1 teaspoon of bacon grease is 38.6 calories. Now you know!

Although I estimate more often than not, I find I use the scale a lot more than I expected (even when estimating), simply because it's actually easier and quicker than getting out measuring cups or even measuring spoons (because my scale zeros out. I just zero it between each ingredient I add to the bowl). Because my scale is so easy to use, it actually takes no more time or effort or utensils than guesstimating without the scale (the only difference is the 3 seconds it takes to press two buttons - the first turning the scale on. The second after putting the bowl on the scale to press the zero button. Three seconds, two buttons and no extra dirty spoons or measuring cups.

It's actually easier and quicker than gesstimating without the scale, and makes it easier to guesstimate when I don't have the scale (like at restaurants) because I get the constant feedback. I've noticed that without the scale's feedback, I experience gradual "portion drift" the size of my estimation gets slightly bigger and bigger. The scale keeps me aware of what the portion size is supposed to look like.

It also helps that I have most calorie counts memorized (After nearly 40 years of calorie counting, there aren't many foods I can't estimate fairly accurately - at least by "exchange" which I use more than calories).

I did have one that stumped me the other day, though. Rhubarb. I had to look it up in my exchange book: 1 (122g) cup diced, raw = 1 vegetable, 30 calories. 2 cups (244) = 1 fruit, 60 calories.

I measured out and weighed out the rhubarb - 250 grams for a rounded 2 cup glass measuring cup). The way my memory works (great for this kind of stuff, horrible for practical stuff, like where I left my keys)., I never have to use a measuring cup or the scale again. I'll just weigh the rhubarb right from the cutting board, and remember than 250g has 65 calories (which I can work out in less than 2 minutes with a calculator, or just try to go for measurements that I can do the easily math in my head, such as cutting it in halves and quarters 125g = 32 calories. 182g - 48 calories....

I can do the calorie counts in my head without a calculator 90% of the time. So knowing how many calories are in 250g, I can figure in my head any calorie count rounded to 25s and 50s in just a few secondes. 25 grams = 6.5 calories, 50g=13 calories....).

I know not everyone can do that kind of math easily in their head (I get to thank my Dad's math drills when we were kids), but with a calculator handy - the math becomes so simple, you do it without even thinking about it.



Even when I come across a new fruit or vegetable, I can usually estimate the calories just by it's weight, volume, and flavor. It doesn't always work, but I usually try it just to test myself. I was a bit off with rhubarb, because I overestimated the carb content. I knew it would be a lot lower in calories than most fruits, but I didn't expect it to be as low as it turned out (lower than many other vegetables, even). Only twice the calorie of celery (I use mneumonic devices to help me remember calorie counts, which is one of the reasons I rarely forget). Rhubarb looks like celery, but has twice the calories. So celery has 20 calories for 150g and rhubarb has 40 calories (and I'll never forget it, because any time I measure out either rhubarb or celery, it will remind me of the calorie counts for each).


Sounds complicated, but it's really easy when you've been working with calorie counts as long as I have.

That grease is really bad...

I fry eggs all the time - I eat a lot of eggs. I just fry mine with a couple sprays of pam.

Also, try turkey bacon. I love that stuff and only 35 calories a slice.

Originally Posted by sotypical:
I fry eggs all the time - I eat a lot of eggs. I just fry mine with a couple sprays of pam.

Also, try turkey bacon. I love that stuff and only 35 calories a slice.

Thanks! I'll have to try that!

Yep, I know that the bacon grease adds flavor, but I also fry eggs with a cooking spray (the pan will make a difference in the sticking, tho).

I always thought that saturated (meat) fat was horrible for you, but I really think it's the animal fat/carbohydrate combination that's the real killer.

When my doctor suggested low-carb, I thought he was crazy. I didn't even seriously consider it, until I had a counsult with the doctor running the weight management clinic in the local hospital (she and her husband each lost about 100 lbs on a modified Atkings).

When I started reducing carbs, and eating more fat (including bacon), I expected my cholesterol numbers to skyrocket. Instead they plummetted. So did my blood pressure and virtually all of my other health indicator tests too.

So long as my health indicators are improving, I don't worry about it.

I've given up margarine for butter (much less butter, but I only use real butter. It's expensive, so I use it sparingly).

I don't eat bacon or bacon fat every day, but I use it more than I did when I thought low-carb was unhealthy. I've found that fats we think of as unhealthy (bacon, butter, full-fat cheese....) often have so much flavor that a very little bit goes a long way.

Most people think low-carb is huge amounts of meat, especially bacon, but I think I'm actually eating no more meat than I was before. The reason is that without the high-glycemic carbs, I'm much less hungry. So I eat less food overall, so much less that the amount of meat isn't changing much. I can take away the carbs and be satisfied with the rest, because the carbs aren't fueling hunger 24/7.

I am eating a higher percentage of fat, but as long as the health indicators are improving, I'm not worried. I'm eating TONS more vegetables (non-starchy ones), so I think the volume of food I'm eating isn't too different. I graze on raw veggies alot, and I use full or partial-fat dips.

No matter what you eat, it's not one meal, or even one day that makes or breaks a healthy diet, so cooking eggs in bacon fat occasionally isn't the worst thing you can do (no, I'm not advocating the bacon-at-every-meal diet).