TURKEY: NOT JUST A HOLIDAY MEAT

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TURKEY NOT JUST A HOLIDAY MEAT

• By Maria Mavroulis
• Hlth225 Dr. Jack Osman

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Turkey has a gobble load of history

• Prior to World War II, turkey was something of a
  luxury.
• After being discovered in America, or then the
  New World, turkeys were brought back to Europe.
• Though with the intensive farming of turkey in
  the 40s, the price was drastically per bird.
• Because of this price reduction, it replaced the
  common holiday staple, which was goose or beef.

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Gobbling it up

• Populations dropped drastically in 19th and early
  20th century because of hunting and habitat loss.
• Today however turkey is a common form of poultry,
  readily available at any grocery store.

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TURKEY FACTS

• In 2003 the average person ate 17.4 pounds of
  turkey
• The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds,
  about the size of a large dog
• A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent
  white meat and 30 percent dark meat
• Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each
  Thanksgiving
• Turkeys can see in color
• Turkey breeding has caused turkey breasts to grow
  so large that the turkeys fall over.
• 50 of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once
  per week
• For their first meal on the moon, astronauts Neil
  Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in
  foil packets
• 2.74 billion pounds of turkey were processed in
  the United States in 1994
• http//www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html

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Turkey From a Nutritional Perspective

• Dark Meat
• Vs.
• White Meat
• What is the difference?

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Dark Meat

• Dark meat is fattier, which translates into
  moister end results
• Dark meat comes from areas that get lots of
  exercise (i.e. the turkeys muscles)
• Dark meat is tougher and needs a longer cooking
  time
• Dark meat is more flavorful because it does
  contain more fat
• http//www.cookinglight.com/cooking/print/0,14444,
  1007370,00.html

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WHITE MEAT

• Refers to any meat that is white in color before
  cooking
• It is leaner than its darker counter-part
• White meat, because of its nature, has less fat
• Most people prefer white meat, though dark meat
  has the same nutrients, just more fat and flavor.
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_meat

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Turkey, Lamb, or Beef?
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Turkey please!

• Turkey only has 0.6 grams of fat per serving of
  turkey breast.
• Lamb has 5.7g and Beef has 8.5g!
• Turkey only has 115 per turkey breast, while
  lamb, per serving, has 153 calories, and a beef
  tenderloin has 180!
• Turkey has 67 mg of cholesterol, while lamb has
  74 mg.
• Beef has 70mg.
• Compared with other meats, turkey has fewer
  calories, less fat, less cholesterol, and very
  little sodium, but it is high in protein,
  vitamins, and minerals.
• Any way you look at it, turkey is the way to go!
• http//www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledg
  e.asp?catitemid104id946

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Should you eat turkey while operating heavy
machinery?

• It has been a myth that the reason people are
  always so tired after a Thanksgiving feast is
  because there is a chemical in turkey that causes
  drowsiness
• However, that is just that a myth.

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Tryptophan

• Tryptophan is a chemical that is considered a
  precursor to serotonin, which contains
  sedative-like characteristics.
• But equivalent servings of chicken and ground
  beef contain equivalent amounts of tryptophan.
  Yet, we don't normally associate sleepiness with
  these foods.
• http//www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_en
  t.html?DOCenthusiasts5Cent_tryptophan.html

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Turkey Recipes Turkey Burger

• 1 lb. ground turkey ½ cup onion (chopped) 1
  1clove garlic (minced)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper ¼ cup ketchup
• 4 Kaiser rolls, sliced
• 4 slices red ripe tomato 4 leaves lettuce
• 4 thin Slices onion
• Preheat charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking.
• In medium-size bowl combine turkey, onion,
  garlic, ketchup and pepper. Evenly divide turkey
  mixture into 4 burgers, approximately 3-1/2
  inches in diameter.
• Grill turkey burgers 5 to 6 minutes per side
  until 165 degrees F is reached on food
  thermometer and turkey is no longer pink in
  center.
• To serve, place each turkey burger on bottom half
  of Kaiser roll and top with lettuce, tomato,
  onion and top half of roll.

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Turkey Quesadilla

• 12 Ounces TURKEY BREAST OR THIGHS, skin removed
  and cubed
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2 Cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Cup green onions, chopped
• 1/4 Cup canned mild jalapeno chili, chopped
• 1 Cup salsa
• As needed salsa for garnish
• As needed lime wedges
• As needed sour cream, optional
• As needed guacamole, optional

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Recipes

• Courtesy of
• www.eatturkey.com