How Many Slices Of Turkey Bacon Are In 2 Ounces? Here’s The Breakdown

Turkey bacon has become an increasingly popular lower-fat and lower-calorie alternative to traditional pork bacon. But when cooking with turkey bacon, it can be tricky to figure out portion sizes. So how many slices of turkey bacon are in 2 ounces? Let’s break it down.

Why Portion Control Matters with Turkey Bacon

When incorporating turkey bacon into a healthy diet, portion control is key. While turkey bacon has less fat and fewer calories than pork bacon, it still packs a decent amount of sodium. Monitoring your portions can help keep your sodium intake in check.

Portion control also helps with calorie management. Even though turkey bacon is lower in calories than pork bacon, the calories can still add up if you eat too much. Sticking to reasonable portion sizes is important for maintaining a calorie deficit when trying to lose weight.

So whether you’re watching your sodium calories or both – understanding the number of turkey bacon slices in a typical serving size is useful knowledge to have.

The Variability of Turkey Bacon Slices

If you’ve ever tried to count out a certain number of turkey bacon slices, you probably noticed that the slices can vary quite a bit in size and thickness. This makes nailing down an exact number of slices per ounce tricky.

Thickness is one of the biggest factors affecting the number of slices per ounce. Thinner slices will yield more per ounce while thicker slices provide fewer. Here are some of the factors that cause this variability in slice size

• Brand: Different turkey bacon brands and types will yield slices of varying thicknesses.

• Cooking method: Pan-frying, baking, or microwaving can cause the bacon to shrink to different degrees.

• Hand-cutting: When you slice turkey bacon yourself, the thickness will depend on your knifework.

• Packaging: Individually-packaged pre-sliced turkey bacon often provides thinner, uniform slices.

So while we can provide estimates for the number of slices per ounce, there will be variation from one package of turkey bacon to the next. Let’s look at some general guidelines.

General Estimates for Slices per Ounce

As a baseline, here are some averages for the number of turkey bacon slices in one ounce:

• Deli-style (thin): Approximately 8-12 slices per ounce

• Individually-packaged (medium): Approximately 5-8 slices per ounce

• Hand-cut (thick): Approximately 3-5 slices per ounce

Based on this, you can estimate that two ounces of turkey bacon will contain between 6 and 24 slices, depending on the thickness.

For a visual reference, two ounces of sliced turkey bacon is about the same quantity as two slices of sandwich bread placed side-by-side.

Of course, these numbers are just averages. Let’s look at some more precise ways to measure out your portions.

Weighing Turkey Bacon for Accuracy

For maximum precision, use a food scale to weigh out portions of turkey bacon. To do this:

• Place a plate or bowl on the food scale and press the “Tare” or “Zero” button to reset it to zero.

• Add turkey bacon slices to the plate or bowl until the desired weight is displayed. For two ounces, the scale would read approximately 57 grams.

• You can then cook the measured turkey bacon slices as desired.

Weighing the turkey bacon delivers the most accurate portion control. But you can also get a decent measurement using the slice count method.

Measuring by Slice Count

If you don’t have a food scale handy, you can portion turkey bacon by carefully counting the number of slices:

• Refer to the slice estimates above to decide on your target number of slices for two ounces. Let’s say 8 slices to be on the thinner side.

• Separate your stack of turkey bacon into groups of 8 slices until you’ve portioned out the desired quantity.

• As a visual check, the total number of slices should roughly match the size of two slices of bread.

• Cook the slices and enjoy your accurately-portioned turkey bacon!

While not as precise as weighing, counting slices will get you a reasonable 2-ounce turkey bacon portion.

Factors That Impact Calories and Sodium

When tracking nutrition info, be aware that the calorie and sodium content of turkey bacon can vary based on these factors:

• Portion size: The more slices you eat, the more calories and sodium are consumed. Stick to recommended serving sizes.

• Cooking method: Frying and microwaving increase calories and sodium compared to baking.

• Additives: Flavored turkey bacons contain extra sodium, spices, and other additives.

• Brand: Nutrition varies between different brands and types of turkey bacon. Compare labels.

So weigh or count your slices carefully, and check labels to understand the nutrition of your specific turkey bacon.

Turkey Bacon Nutrition Per Ounce

To give you a general idea, here are the typical nutrition numbers for a 1-ounce portion of turkey bacon:

• Calories: 40-50
• Fat: 2.5-3.5g
• Sodium: 250-350mg

Based on this, two ounces of turkey bacon would have 80-100 calories, 5-7g of fat, and 500-700mg of sodium. Not too bad nutrition-wise for a protein-packed breakfast side!

Tips for Accurately Portioning Turkey Bacon

Here are some handy tips for measuring out your morning turkey bacon:

• Weigh it whenever possible for maximum accuracy. Digital food scales are inexpensive and easy to use.

• Know your target slice count for a given weight and portion the stack accordingly.

• Separate slices before cooking – they shrink less and are easier to count.

• Refer to nutrition labels to find calorie and sodium info for the specific product you use.

• Adjust measurements based on changes in your diet goals or doctor’s recommendations.

• Erring on the lower side for portion sizes can help reduce sodium and calorie intake.

• Store open packages of turkey bacon in the refrigerator for no more than 7 days and use within 1-2 months of opening.

With the guidelines above, you can feel confident about how many slices of turkey bacon make a typical serving size. So cook up the perfect portion for your breakfast!