Turkey meat is highly proteinaceous, and it is the center of attraction on festive occasions like ‘Christmas’ or ‘Thanksgiving’. No doubt turkey meat consists of a lot of nutrients, especially proteins. The substantial nutritional value gives it a rigid structure and generates a lot of benefits of turkey meat, which makes it come under various uses and delivery of many essential nutrients.
If you look over a 15-pound turkey, it consists of about 70% of white meat and the remaining being the 30% of dark meat. The white color of the flesh is due to the presence of lower levels of myoglobin in the body.
About 88 percent of Americans(1) celebrate their Thanksgiving by eating dishes made of turkey meat. It came out after a survey by the National Turkey Federation. Turkey meat contains a type of amino acid, known as tryptophan. Due to this amino acid, the body starts to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, which helps in regulating sleep.
Turkey as Food!
Many people across the globe consume turkey meat during the special occasion of Thanksgiving. On all special occasions, people serve turkey meat(2). The turkey lays eggs just like that of a hen, but turkey eggs are as not like the eggs of hen, as the preferable form of consuming turkey meat includes the complete body of the turkey.
Traditionally, turkey meat is the favorite cuisine for a Thanksgiving dinner. The people of the United States, Mexico, and Canada prefer eating turkey with stuffing present in it. It is because, from the early 16th century, the turkey was a very abundantly available bird.
Slowly after some matter of time, the preparation of turkey meat on Thanksgiving and Christmas became popular among Europeans. And later, people built this traditional cuisine of turkey meat, and soon it was over other parts of the world, by the 17th century.
Turkey Nutrition
According to various nutritional databases and analytics, turkey meat has a very high nutritional density. The nutritional chart of dark roasted turkey meat consists of the following –
| Number of Calories Present | 173 Kcal |
| Fats | 5.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Proteins | 23.55 g |
Other nutrient factors of Turkey serve –
-
- Vitamins B-6
- vitamin B-12
- niacin
- choline
- selenium
- zinc
The dark roasted turkey meat serves more quantity of minerals and vitamins than the non-enhanced turkey breast, but at the same time, it covers a higher number of calories and fats. People desire to get some sleep after the Thanksgiving meal, due to the presence of tryptophan. But turkey meat does not have any high amount of tryptophan, that can lead to drowsiness after dinner.
[Also Read: Nutrition Diet for Weight Loss ]
What do Dieticians Say?
Dieticians have a lot to say about the benefits of turkey meat. Some of the reviews by Dieticians are –
- Some dieticians confirm that the nutritional contents present in turkey such as – zinc, Vitamin B12, etc. can facilitate the mediums of preventing the cause of cancer. According to Doreen Rodo, Nutrition and Dietetics specialist, the low amount of fats tends to remove the bad cholesterol from the body.
- According to Michael T. Murray, ND, the tryptophan present in the turkey meat enhances the brain’s ability to produce more serotonin or the happiness hormone. People who consume turkey meat have good chances of having some quality sleep.
Health benefits of Turkey
Here are the benefits of turkey meat which will help you in fulfilling your body’s essential requirements. The turkey meat prevents various disorders and health issues to occur. The benefits are –
1. It Provides Strength to the Immune System
The turkey meat carries appropriate amounts of selenium, potassium, and proteins, which help in enhancing the functions and metabolisms of the immune system.
[Read: Cherry Extract for Immune System]
2 Increases the Rate of Metabolism
Since the metabolism of the different parts of the body needs focus, it enhances the rate of metabolism and tends to keep the body more energetic than before.
3. Psychological Health Remains Stable
It regulates the proper flow of blood, neurotransmitters by boosting up the levels of Serotonin present in the body. It maintains the mood balance of the mind and provides relaxation.
4. Helps in Losing Weight
Turkey meat has a very least amount of fats and lipids in it. It helps in increasing a more excellent absorption of vitamins and minerals. You need to have the assurance of maintaining body weight.
[Also Read: Natural Remedies to Lose Weight]
5. It Supports Cardiovascular Health
Because of the low-fat content, turkey meat does not let the establishment of bad cholesterol in the body. Hence, it prevents the heart from suffering any major illness.
6. It is an Essential Source of Protein
Turkey meat becomes a significant and useful source for the supply of proteins. Proteins play a vital role in blood clotting and treating the damaged parts.
7. Maintains Teeth and Bone Health
The presence of appropriate Vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium levels help in maintaining the bone density of the body.
8. It is an Excellent Food Option for Diabetic patients
People who have diabetes, already have a shallow level of desire to get well soon. Diabetic patients can fulfill their desire to eat meat.
[Read: Foods for Diabetic Patients]
9. Anemic Problems
Deficiency of iron causes anemia, and in anemia, it becomes difficult for the patients to satisfy their desire to have fun as they get fatigued quickly.
10. It gives Healthy Skin with Vibrant
Everyone wishes to have a little glow of her skin. The nutrients and anti-oxidants helps in removing the toxins out of the skin.
Turkey Recipes
Here are two famous and delicious recipes of turkey meat –
1. Turkey Sausage Recipe for Your Breakfast
Ingredients
- One-pound ground turkey
- Two tablespoons of crackers
- One egg, lightly beaten
- Half onion
- One-fourth teaspoon of Majoram
- One-fourth teaspoon of cumin
- One-fourth teaspoon of cayenne
- One-fourth teaspoon of ginger
- Half teaspoon of basil
- Half teaspoon of oregano, sage, and thyme
- Sea salt and pepper, as per taste
Procedure
- Lightly sauté the onions in a pan with butter.
- Add all the ingredients, except butter in a large bowl and mix everything.
- Prepare small patties out of the mixture and fry the meat in a large pan with oil.
2. Turkey Breast Recipe with Herbs
Ingredients
- Two large boneless turkey breasts
- Avocado oil up to 2 – 4 tablespoons
- Two tablespoons of chopped green onion
- One tablespoon of sage (dried)
- Two tablespoons of lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and coconut aminos
- Black pepper, as per taste
Procedure
- Heat the oven early at 325 Fahrenheit.
- Keep the turkey breasts aside and mix the other ingredients of the recipe in a small bowl.
- Mix everything well for some time.
- Take a baking dish and place the turkey breasts on it. Apply the herb mixture on the meat and cover it with the mixture.
- Bake until it gets soft enough to eat. It’ll take about 40 minutes to finish.
Precautions
Here are a few tips and precautions related to the consumption of turkey meat. One should always keep these things in mind before consuming turkey meat –
- The storage of turkey meat should be in a safe place. One should not keep it outside for long. The beef at room temperature gives a medium for the growth of bacteria, and the consumption might be risky.
- Make sure that the stuffing for the turkey is well cooked. Ingrown bacteria can be poisonous for the body and can cause food poisoning.
- Prevent the contamination of the meat by any vectors.
The consumption of turkey meat is not at all risky provided cleanliness is maintained. There are several easy ways to clean turkey meat. It’s better to take precaution than suffering later. Follow the food tips and prepare a delicious turkey meat recipe.
To obtain the maximum benefits of turkey meat, one must thoroughly cook the meat and then eat it. The nutrients present in the turkey meat will nourish the requirements of your body, and the high-calorie level will help you to have more energy. The energetic body will ease your routine work!
