Bacon vs turkey bacon: which has more protein?
Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Sodium
Bacon has more protein: 39 g per 3.5 oz (100 g) of bacon vs 29.5 g in turkey bacon (32% more).
USDA FoodData Central.
| Bacon | Turkey bacon | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 3.5 oz (100 g) | 39 g | 29.5 g |
| Per serving | 6.2 g in 2 medium slices (16 g) | 6.5 g in 2 medium slices (22 g) |
| Per 100 calories | 8.2 g | 8 g |
| To get 30 g of protein | 2.7 oz (77 g), about 4.8 × 2 medium slices | 3.6 oz (102 g), about 4.6 × 2 medium slices |
Protein per calorie
Per 100 calories, bacon gives 8.2 g of protein and turkey bacon 8 g. This is the number that matters when you are fitting protein into a calorie budget, and it can rank foods differently from grams per 3.5 oz (100 g).
What the numbers don't tell you
Weight for weight, turkey bacon is leaner. Per 3.5 oz (100 g) microwaved, it has 368 calories and 6.9 g of saturated fat, pork bacon 476 and 11.6 g. But a medium cooked turkey slice weighs 11 g against 8 g for pork. Per slice that is about 40 calories against 38, 0.8 g against 0.9 g of saturated fat, and about 220 mg of sodium against 140 mg.
Sodium is the number to watch, and products vary. Restaurant pork bacon ranged from 1,280 to 2,590 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), and even the USDA low sodium turkey bacon record holds 900 mg. Across 43 randomized trials, more salt went with higher blood pressure.
No study has compared the two on health. In pooled cohorts, each two slices of bacon a day went with about twice the rate of type 2 diabetes, an observational link graded high quality. Turkey bacon has almost no research of its own: a review of 525 poultry studies found no randomized trial of processed poultry.
On hemodialysis, eating bacon predicted greater fluid overload in one study across 37 centers. Turkey bacon trims a little saturated fat but carries more sodium per slice, so check the label either way.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E Per 100 g microwaved, USDA lists pork bacon at 476 calories with 11.6 g saturated fat and turkey bacon at 368 calories with 6.9 g, while sodium is 1783 mg against 2021 mg. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019, FDC 168321 and 171639
- Level E A medium cooked slice is 8 g for pork bacon and 11 g for turkey bacon, so a turkey slice carries about 220 mg of sodium against about 140 mg for pork. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, FDC 2705889 and 2706135
- Level E Across 69 restaurant samples of cooked pork bacon, sodium ranged from 1280 to 2590 mg and fat from 25.8 to 47.9 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods release 2026-04-30, Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant
- Level E Even the USDA record labeled low sodium turkey bacon holds 900 mg of sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g). USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019, FDC 171640
- Level A A meta-analysis of 43 randomized trials found blood pressure graded with salt intake across below 5, 5 to 15 and above 15 g a day. Nutr Rev, 2026
- Level C Across prospective cohorts, each two slices of bacon a day went with about twice the risk of type 2 diabetes. BMJ, 2019
- Level C A scoping review of 525 poultry studies found no randomized trial of processed poultry and only 1% of observational studies looking at it. Adv Nutr, 2022
- Level C Among 582 hemodialysis patients, eating bacon predicted greater fluid overload. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Bacon and turkey bacon: the lighter swap carries more salt per slice
- Bacon: two rashers a day, and the evidence is graded high
- Turkey bacon: a salty processed meat with almost no research of its own
Rankings and guides
- Which foods are highest in protein?
- Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
- How much protein do you need per day?
- Protein: what it does and how much you need
- Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
- Turkey bacon: full nutrition facts
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Bacon: USDA FoodData Central, Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved, FDC ID 168321 · all forms of bacon
- Turkey bacon: USDA FoodData Central, Bacon, turkey, microwaved, FDC ID 171639 · full profile · all forms of turkey bacon
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ, and the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.