Low Histamine Bacon with Southern Greens Recipe – Mast Cell 360 (2024)

I’m so excited to share this low histamine bacon recipe with you.

You know that eating low histamine can get tricky sometimes. Especially when you miss certain comfort foods like bacon.

I have always loved food.

Growing up in the country, we ate a lot of southern dishes. It seemed like everything was either fried or served with bacon. Or better yet, fried in bacon.

We lived on fried chicken, fried pork chops, fried okra, fried squash, fried green tomatoes, even fried corn. I’m starting to sound like Bubba Blue from Forest Gump here.

When I moved out, I became quite the foodie and gourmet cook. I loved eating out so much, I had plans to start a new restaurant review column.

But my health was crashing. My gut health was a wreck. I felt like I was having allergic reactions to everything. The IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) was out of control.

All these health issues meant I had to start focusing on food as medicine instead of food for entertainment.

This was crushing for me. I was known for hosting different types of dinner parties – like Japanese night or Medieval night.

In my search for health, I meandered through all kinds of ways of eating.

Until I finally figured out, I have both Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Histamine Intolerance.

I also had to watch:

• Oxalates
• Lectins
• FODMAPs
• And salicylates

But don’t worry, this low histamine bacon recipe is also:

• Low oxalate
• Low lectin
• Low salicylate
• Low FODMAP
• Low carb
• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Soy free
• Sugar free

Plus, I’ll share my tips on low histamine greens to make it a well rounded meal.

Low Histamine Bacon

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not healthcare or medical advice. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone. Never limit foods unnecessarily.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider.

Settling into eating only the foods that support my health was life changing. But I missed some of those comfort foods.

I’ve gotten very creative in my cooking to work with my food sensitivities.

So, I thought – why not figure out how to make a low histamine bacon?

And I’ll confess… I really missed bacon.

Just a little crumble of bacon on a dish can transform it. But bacon is usually smoked and cured, which makes it one of the high histamine foods.

Even uncured bacon can have higher histamine seasonings.

So, how do we make low histamine bacon?

We really need to start with a good source for low histamine meat! So, let’s look at that first.

Where to Find Low Histamine Bacon

The trick is to get pasture raised, uncured pork belly. (Pork isn’t grass fed like beef.)

Organic is not enough when it comes to low histamine meats. You need to watch out for mast cell triggers like preservatives in processed meats. (This is similar to salami, pepperoni, etc.)

Some processors call it fresh sides when you avoid the preservatives and sugar. It’s not something you’ll find in the grocery store.

And of course, make sure it was frozen after slaughter to keep the histamine content low.

I get my pork belly from a local farmer who always freezes the meat after slaughter. This keeps the histamine levels low.

If you can’t source from a local farmer, you can look for uncured pork belly from an option like one of my two favorites!

White Oak Pastures

>>> Use coupon code MASTCELL360 for 10% off first purchase!

Northstar Bison

>>> Use coupon code MASTCELL360 for 10% all low histamine meats!

To summarize, for low histamine bacon you need:

• Unseasoned fresh pork belly or sides (uncured)
• Pasture raised pork
• Meat that’s frozen upon slaughter

You can read more about ways to make sure your meat is low histamine here: Are you Raising your Histamine Levels with these Meat Handling Mistakes?

Now let’s talk about how to make this recipe to keep it low histamine.

How to Make Low Histamine Bacon

To keep the histamine content low, remember to defrost your bacon right before using it.

It can’t sit in the fridge for hours or days.

Depending on where you buy it, you may need to slice the pork into slices like bacon. It’s actually easier to do this when the meat is still a little frosty. Stiffer meat is easier to slice.

To make the pork belly taste like bacon, I season it with a dry rub. Use the spices that you are comfortable with. I’ve been able to use a pinch of black pepper to get that familiar flavor.

Black pepper is higher histamine and high oxalate, so a pinch might be too much for some people. If you still want to try pepper, pink peppercorns might work.

Then I bake or fry it just like bacon.

To bake it, heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes for chewy bacon or longer for crispy bacon. However, I prefer to fry it if I’m making greens so I can do it all in the same pan.

This recipe doesn’t have the smoked flavor. But it is still divine. Because it is pasture raised, this will have a healthier fat profile than conventionally raised pork.

We don’t want to over consume saturated fats and cholesterol. But a moderate amount is vital for brain health and hormone production.

If you were a bacon lover before you went low histamine, you are going to love this recipe.

And here’s what else you can do on the low histamine diet to make this a well rounded meal.

Low Histamine Greens

I’m also working on eating more greens. A lot more greens.

This is because greens are high in magnesium, which is really critical for almost 400 different processes in the body. Beyond that, greens feed the beneficial bacteria in the GI tract.

Best of all, greens help the body produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is one of the most important molecules in the body.

And it helps stabilize mast cells! So, more greens it is!

See Also

25 Kid-Approved Whole30 RecipesKeto Mashed Cauliflower Recipe with Cream CheeseCrustless Pumpkin Pie - Low Carb/Keto Recipe | That's Low Carb?!Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts Recipe EASY CRISPY | White On Rice

Make sure you are including some of these low histamine, low oxalate, nitric oxide boosting greens in your diet every day:

• Lettuces – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP
  • Iceberg is negligible salicylate
  • Others are medium salicylate
• Basil (fresh) – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP
• Cilantro (fresh) – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP, low salicylate
• Kale (flat leaf only) – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP
• Collard greens – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP
• Arugula – low histamine, low oxalate, low lectin, low FODMAP, medium salicylate

Arugula is actually the best vegetable for boosting those nitric oxide levels.

So, I always use arugula when I make greens. I also add arugula to a lot of other dishes – soups, salads, and stir-fries.

When you cook arugula, it develops a nice mellow flavor. And when used raw, it has a peppery kick.

For this low histamine greens recipe, I also like to toss in collards and flat leaf kale.

You can get some more ideas for other low histamine greens from my full low histamine food list.

And make sure to add greens in your diet for the mast cell stabilizing nitric oxide!

What to Serve with Low Histamine Bacon

In place of low histamine greens you could serve this with:

• Root Veggie Mash– Low Histamine, Low Oxalate, Low FODMAP, Low Lectin
• Roasted Cauliflower with Cherries and Pecans– Low Histamine, Low Lectin, Medium Oxalate, Low Salicylate Option
• Low Histamine Coleslaw– Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP Option, Low Salicylate Option

What did you think of this recipe? I would love to hear your thoughts below!

More Low Histamine Meat Recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin
• Pork Roast – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP, Low Salicylate Options
• Meat Broth – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin, Low FODMAP, Low Salicylate
• Baru Crusted Chicken Salad – Low FODMAP, Oxalate, Low Lectin
• Rosemary Chicken Salad – Low Histamine, Low Lectin, and Low to Medium Oxalate Options
• Easy Chicken Tacos – Low FODMAP, Low Lectin, Low Oxalate, Low Salicylate
• Spring Roll Stir Fry – Low Salicylate, Low FODMAP, Low Lectin, Low Oxalate
• Rosemary Roasted Garlic Pork Chops – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin

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References

https://happyforks.com/analyzer/result

Hord, N. G., Tang, Y., & Bryan, N. S. (2009). Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiologic context for potential health benefits. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.27131