LET'S TALK TURKEY

11-20-12

Thanksgiving is just days away and for most families, that means a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. We want to help put two of the biggest turkey myths to rest.

1)  Does our favorite Thanksgiving bird really make us sleepy?

2)  Is white meat healthier than dark?

So…let’s talk turkey!

White vs. Dark meat –

Question: Do you prefer white meat or dark meat? And, other than personal taste, do you know the difference between the two?

Here’s the scoop:

Dark meat is darker in color because it contains more myoglobin (proteins) that are responsible for making sure that oxygen gets to a turkey’s muscle cells during exercise. For that reason, the thigh and leg muscles are darker in color. Turkey muscles that are used less often and contain little myoglobin are lighter in color.

So which is healthier?

Regardless of your personal preference for white or dark meat, both have a good source of protein. Dark meat has some nutritional advantages over white; as it contains more vitamins and minerals, particularly Vitamin B, iron and zinc.  However, white meat tends contains less saturated fat.

So we think it is a draw. As long as you remove the skin either part of your turkey dinner is something to “gobble up”.