# What's a 'normal' amount of bacon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788 "2016-05-27T03:40:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/1 "2016-05-27T03:40:01Z")
No, seriously. I know all of the joke answers. A John Wayne movie was playing today, and a woman was going to make his character breakfast. He wanted four eggs and ‘plenty of bacon’. In my mind, I imagined him chowing down on half a pound (before cooking) of bacon. It seems to me that restaurants tend to serve two rashers of bacon. At home, a normal serving for me is four. So what’s the ‘traditional, America’ serving of bacon? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/2 "2016-05-27T03:43:45Z")
Expected answer: Until it’s gone. Actual answer: Usually four strips. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/3 "2016-05-27T04:14:41Z")
I’ve found most “family” restaurants serve two strips. I just looked up the Denny’s on-line menu, and it’s two for most of their breakfasts. Two isn’t “plenty.” Four isn’t “plenty.” Six…nope. Eight? Just barely maybe. I go to all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets, and load up: twenty strips! Now you’re talking! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/4 "2016-05-27T04:20:38Z")
4 strips is my normal serving. 2 just isn’t enough ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/5 "2016-05-27T04:49:10Z")
2 to 4 strips seems to be a standard serving. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/6 "2016-05-27T04:51:26Z")
I usually have three. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/7 "2016-05-27T04:56:31Z")
Minimum 2. For some reason 4 is considered plenty. I don’t want bacon with my breakfast, I want bacon for breakfast. 1/2 pound before cooking is reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/8 "2016-05-27T05:36:57Z")
Four to six, depending on how sinful I feel that particular morning. And as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started liking it crisper. To flip the pieces and watch the tiny bubbles rise on the surface, knowing that the bottom side is getting done just right…oh god, I’ve gotta have bacon right now 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/9 "2016-05-27T07:22:03Z")
What Ron Swanson said: Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Wait, wait. I’m worried what you just heard was, “Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.” What I said was, “Give me all the bacon and eggs you have”. Do you understand? I used to do the turkey bacon thing, but I decided screw it, and just started getting real bacon. The Fella and I end up making five strips, we both eat two and polite fight over the fifth. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/10 "2016-05-27T09:24:25Z")
Hmmm. Again I must decide what is “normal” for me. I am mercurial, so that is hard. I have actually gone years without eating bacon, but dearly love the stuff - if that makes any sense. I’d say it’s probably four. If I’m at a restaurant, and they offer a 2 sausage/2 bacon breakfast, I’ll get that in the all-bacon model. It’s also my default for a bacon sandwich. Sometimes I’ll cook 4, eat one bare, and put the rest on the sammich. Sometimes it’s 5 slices, but a similar arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/11 "2016-05-27T10:57:14Z")
2 x eggs and 2 X bacon rashers would be a normal breakfast for me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/12 "2016-05-27T12:56:35Z")
A serving is two, but it is acceptable to eat multiple servings at once. This is also my answer for cookies, incidentally. In actual practice, if I’m making it for myself, I usually end up going with about a quarter-pound. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/13 "2016-05-27T13:00:02Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > 2 x eggs and 2 X bacon rashers would be a normal breakfast for me. Just out of curiosity, do you intend to convey some meaningful difference between “two eggs” and “2 X eggs” as you have used it in this sentence? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/14 "2016-05-27T13:15:06Z")
2-4 pieces. A normal sized strip of bacon seems to have less mass to it than a sausage link so I tend to feel like two pieces of bacon is a little light. I never cook bacon at home, anyway. I like it fine enough but, when I’m making my own eggs, I go for a couple slices of Polish ham warmed on the skillet once the eggs are off. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/15 "2016-05-27T13:19:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > **A serving is two** , but it is acceptable to eat multiple servings at once. > > This is also my answer for cookies, incidentally. > > In actual practice, if I’m making it for myself, I usually end up going with about a quarter-pound. Cookies are always in single serving packages. So is bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/16 "2016-05-27T13:20:32Z")
4-5 slices for me. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/17 "2016-05-27T13:20:49Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Just out of curiosity, do you intend to convey some meaningful difference between “two eggs” and “2 X eggs” as you have used it in this sentence? His eggs are mutants and students at Professor Eggsavier’s School for Gifted Ovoids. ---
**Author:** ![misling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@misling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misling)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/18 "2016-05-27T13:38:47Z")
If any of you bacon lovers are in Anchorage, the Village Inn on Spenard does a BLT with half a pound of bacon on it. It was a bit much for me. I used to pull off a large chunk of bacon & feed it to my dog (She’d be waiting outside). ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/19 "2016-05-27T14:14:48Z")
Yeah, that would be a bit much. I get two sandwiches out of a quarter-pound of bacon. Then again, my BLTs tend to be more like BLTs. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788/20 "2016-05-27T14:20:30Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > His eggs are mutants and students at Professor Eggsavier’s School for Gifted Ovoids. Ah, that explains it! I wondered why people have been mispronouncing “Xavier” all these years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-normal-amount-of-bacon/755788.md?page=2)