It’s hard to imagine a holiday, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, without turkey. It’s an important food throughout certain times of the year. Whether you’re a dieter or just curious about what you’ve been eating, here are some fun facts about turkey nutrition…
1. Here’s the calorific breakdown.
85 grams of roasted turkey breast that is not enhanced contains 135 calories, 3.26 g of fat, 24.70 g of protein and 0 grams of carbohydrates.
2. Dark roasted calculates differently.
In comparison, there are 173 calories, 5.13 g of fat, 23.55 g of protein and 0 g of carbohydrate in the same 85 grams of dark roasted turkey meat.
3. It’s rich in B vitamins.
Turkey is also comprised of Vitamins B6 and B12, along with niacin, zinc, choline and selenium.
4. The darker the meat, the more nutritious it is.
More vitamins and minerals can be found more on the dark meat of the turkey. In addition, they also contain more calories and fat.
5. Look out for sodium.
Depending on the turkey you eat, you can increase your sodium intake for the day. Some brands of turkey are much higher in sodium than others.
6. Does turkey make you sleepy?
Turkey also contains an amino acid known as tryptophan. This is referred to as the reason why people usually want to nap after a large Thanksgiving dinner. However, it was proven that turkey does not contain high enough tryptophan to cause sleepiness. In fact, tryptophan can be found in all kinds of meat.
7. Anyone for turkey skin?
A single serving of turkey skin provides 115 calories and around 11 grams of fat according to the USDA. In addition, you are very unlikely to eat the turkey skin raw, and therefore need to consider butter and pan drippings when calculating the total number of turkey calories.
8. Skinning a turkey makes it healthier.
Because of the amount of fat on turkey skin, it’s easy to eat a much less fattening and therefore leaner dish when you remove the skin.
9. But what about turkey burgers?
Unless it is indicated on the menu, calculating the calorie and fat count in a turkey burger is difficult, as a wide variety of ingredients may be in the burger. Wise dieters should never assume that a turkey burger contains fewer calories than a typical beef burger. Due to the addition of all these ingredients, it is not crazy to think that a turkey burger would surpass 500 calories.
FAQs about Turkey Meat
Is turkey a healthy meat?
It certainly is in some regards - it’s rich in B vitamins, for example. However, it’s also high in salt and fat.
Is turkey the healthiest meat?
Not on the whole, but if you cook it rotisserie style, this can help to remove the unhealthier aspects of the meat.
Is turkey a clean meat?
Yes, depending on how it is cooked - be sure to check out a few recipes online!
What's the average weight of a turkey in kg?
The average weight is 13.5 kg (29.8 lb) for a domestic turkey, going up to a maximum 39 kg (86 lb). That would be a lot of turkey dinners!
Do you know any fun facts about turkey nutrition? Share them in the comments below!
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