Nutritional Value Of Baked Chicken And Bacon

Baked chicken with bacon contain several nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, but it might not be something you want to indulge in all the time. Opting for chicken breast over the dark meat found on thighs or wings helps you control fat and calorie intake. Chicken and bacon can be part of your meal plan when they are balanced with a variety of other healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains.

Fat and Calories

Your body needs calories to fuel your daily activities and fat to help your body function, but too much of either can contribute to weight gain, which increases your risk of several health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. A 2,000-calorie diet should include no more than 78 g of fat per day. A cup of baked chicken breast contains 231 calories and 5 grams of fat. Three slices of bacon contain 130 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Protein

Meat is a good source of protein, with more than 43 grams per cup of baked chicken and nearly 9 grams in three slices of bacon. Protein should make up 10 to 35 percent of your daily calorie intake, which is 50 to 175 grams for a 2,000-calorie diet. Protein is involved in most of your bodily functions and supports healthy skin, hair, cells and muscles. It is also important for energy needs and aids in normal growth and development among children.

Iron

The daily intake recommendation for iron is 8 milligrams for men and 18 milligrams for women. A cup of baked chicken breast contributes about 1.5 milligrams to this goal, and three slices of bacon add about 0.5 milligrams. Iron transports oxygen throughout your blood and to your internal organs. A deficiency might result in anemia, which produces feelings of fatigue and weakness. Pregnancy and breastfeeding increase iron needs to support the healthy growth of infants.

Sodium

A diet that contains too much sodium increases your risk of developing high blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease. Most Americans get more than the 2,300-milligram limit, according to MayoClinic.com. A cup of baked chicken contains 104 milligrams of salt, and three slices of bacon contain 554 milligrams. Balance a meal that contains both with low-sodium meals for the rest of the day to prevent overdoing it.

Niacin

Niacin is one of the B vitamins and plays a role in converting your meals into energy, helps create hormones, improves circulation and reduces cholesterol. The daily intake recommendations for niacin are 14 milligrams for females and 16 milligrams for males. A cup of cooked chicken contains about 19 milligrams of niacin, and three slices of bacon contain nearly 3 milligrams.