TURKEY: NOT JUST TURKEY: NOT JUST A HOLIDAY MEATA HOLIDAY MEAT

By: Maria Mavroulis

Hlth225: Dr. Jack Osman

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.

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.

TURKEY FACTSo In 2003 the average person ate 17.4 pounds of turkey

o The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog

o A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat

o Forty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving

o Turkeys can see in color

o Turkey breeding has caused turkey breasts to grow so large that the turkeys fall over.

o 50% of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once per week

o For their first meal on the moon, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets

o 2.74 billion pounds of turkey were processed in the United States in 1994 http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html

Turkey: From a Nutritional Perspective

Dark Meat

Vs.

White Meat

What is the difference?

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 turkey’s 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

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

Turkey, Lamb, or Beef?

0

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Fat Cals. Choles.

TurkeyLambBeef

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/knowledge.asp?catitemid=104&id=946

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.

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_ent.html?DOC=enthusiasts%5Cent_tryptophan.html

Turkey Recipes: Turkey Burger1 lb. ground turkey ½ cup onion (chopped) 1 1clove garlic (minced)1/8 teaspoon pepper ¼ cup ketchup4 Kaiser rolls, sliced4 slices red ripe tomato 4 leaves lettuce4 thin Slices onion

1. Preheat charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking. 2. 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.

3. 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.

4. To serve, place each turkey burger on bottom half of Kaiser roll and top

with lettuce, tomato, onion and top half of roll.

Turkey Quesadilla

12 Ounces TURKEY BREAST OR THIGHS, skin removed and cubed

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil8 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas2 Cups Cheddar cheese, shredded1 Cup green onions, chopped1/4 Cup canned mild jalapeno chili,

chopped1 Cup salsaAs needed salsa for garnishAs needed lime wedgesAs needed sour cream, optionalAs needed guacamole, optional

Recipes

Courtesy of:

www.eatturkey.com