Nutritional Wellness: Turkey Facts!

from Ann Partlow

ALL TURKEY IS NOT CREATED EQUAL! Yes, the holiday season is coming sooner than we want it to! Another year has gone by but where did it go? Thanksgiving will be here soon. Let's talk turkey. There are many great recipes for turkey and each of us that have cooked turkey has their own special way to make that bird moist & delicious. This is not about cooking turkey; it is about the nutritional value of ground turkey. The question being asked is as follows: "Is the fat from the skin of the turkey included in the fat content on the nutrition fact label?" The answer came straight from the Consumer Response Division of Butterball Turkey: "The skin adds about 2 grams of fat per serving. When purchasing ground turkey, the finished total fat content is on the label. The 85/15 mix and the 93/7 mix both have some skin in them, but not more than would be on a piece of turkey, but the finished fat content remains the same. When purchasing ground turkey look for "Ground White Meat" if you want the leanest ground turkey available. Below are nutrition fact labels from "Ground Turkey" and "Ground White Meat". The serving size is the same for both products but notice the difference in calories and fat content. If you are looking for great turkey recipes www.butterball.com has ideas for every part of the turkey and then some. For seasoned holiday cooks or new ones just beginning the US Partnership for Food Safety Education has a great web site promoting food safety for the holidays. Go to www.HolidayFoodSafety.org to learn safe food handling procedures for cooking and storing your holiday foods.