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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of tempeh and bacon is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Tempeh src
Image of Bacon src

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 common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Tempeh (Tempeh) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) .

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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.