Tempeh vs. Bacon
Nutrition comparison of Tempeh and Cooked Bacon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tempeh
versus
cooked
bacon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tempeh and bacon:
- Both bacon and tempeh are high in calories.
- Tempeh has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Tempeh is a great source of iron.
- Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both bacon and tempeh are high in calories. Bacon has 368% more calories than tempeh - bacon has 898 calories per 100 grams and tempeh has 192 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tempeh is much heavier in protein, heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to bacon per calorie. Tempeh has a macronutrient ratio of 39:15:47 and for bacon, 0:0:100 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tempeh | Bacon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | 15% | ~ |
| Fat | 47% | 100% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Bacon has less carbohydrates than tempeh - tempeh has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Tempeh is an excellent source of protein and it has 288 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Bacon is high in saturated fat and tempeh has 92% less saturated fat than bacon - bacon has 32g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.5g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Tempeh has less cholesterol than bacon - bacon has 97mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Bacon has more Vitamin A than tempeh - bacon has 11ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Tempeh has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both tempeh and bacon contain significant amounts of Vitamin B12.
| Tempeh | Bacon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.004 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.358 MG | 0.015 MG |
| Niacin | 2.64 MG | 0.725 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.278 MG | 0.007 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.215 MG | 0.005 MG |
| Folate | 24 UG | ~ |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.08 UG | 0.09 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium and it has 110 times more calcium than bacon - bacon has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
iron
Tempeh is a great source of iron and it has 19 times more iron than bacon - bacon has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Tempeh is an excellent source of potassium and it has 26 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium per 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both tempeh and bacon contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Tempeh | Bacon | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.248 G | 0.476 G |
| Total | 0.248 G | 0.476 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bacon has more linoleic acid than tempeh per 100 grams.
| Tempeh | Bacon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 4.052 G | 9.426 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.442 G |
| Total | 4.052 G | 9.868 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Tempeh or Bacon .
Tempeh g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Bacon g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does bacon or tempeh contain more calories in 100 grams?Both bacon and tempeh are high in calories. Bacon has 370% more calories than tempeh - bacon has 898 calories in 100g and tempeh has 192 calories.
Is bacon or tempeh better for protein?
Tempeh is a fantastic source of protein and it has 288 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Does bacon or tempeh contain more calcium?
Tempeh is a rich source of calcium and it has 110 times more calcium than bacon - bacon has 1mg of calcium in 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
Does bacon or tempeh contain more potassium?
Tempeh is a rich source of potassium and it has 26 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium in 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.