Bacon – the vegetarian’s Achilles heel

Vegetarians have a deep, dark secret.

Under the right circumstances, many of them succumb to the seductive allure of bacon.

And I’ve personally witnessed this phenomenon.

My friend Julie has been a devoted, no-nonsense vegetarian for many years. But when she was pregnant, she craved bacon so deeply that she gave in on at least two occasions and ate her fill.

Julie made it clear that these lapses were NOT open to discussion. After all, she was riding pregnancy’s hormonal roller coaster, and…well…bacon is bacon.

According to an NPR report, many vegetarians (pregnant or not) find bacon to be a “gateway to meat.”

Believe it or not, there’s a scientific explanation for this phenomenon: Bacon calls to us on an elemental level.

Johan Lundstrom — a scientist who studies sensory response — told NPR that the high fat and protein content of bacon stirs an evolutionary quest for calories.

And then, of course, there’s the aroma, which Lundstrom describes as “aggressive.”

Lundstrom: “There’s an intimate connection between odor and emotion, and odor and memory.”

So feel no shame, vegetarians. Between bacon’s aroma, crunchy texture and that one-of-a-kind taste, you’re being lured by a delicacy that tofu can never EVER duplicate.

Sources:
“Why Bacon Is A Gateway To Meat For Vegetarians” Eliza Barclay, NPR, 1/28/11, npr.org