Ground Turkey? Good or bad?

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Replies

  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited May 2017
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    It's ground turkey. Not cocaine. It's fine.
    My current fav post of the week!

    bagge72 wrote: »
    jgnatca wrote: »
    It's a lean protein. It's a very fine lean protein.

    Oh yeah, she's a sexy little lean protein isn't she? But is she the good type of sexy lean protein, or is she a bad bad girl? Sorry, not where you were going with that, is it?
    I always thought she was attractive but respectable
    Maybe she's really a 'gateway' protein to things like lard and sugar, a bad bad girl.
  • heiliskrimsli
    heiliskrimsli Posts: 735 Member
    choppie70 wrote: »
    If you are buying ground turkey to save on calories, then make sure you are reading labels carefully. Not all ground turkey has less calories than ground beef.

    The percentages are useless because not everyone is on the same daily calorie limit, so I'd actually compare the raw numbers.

    I would also compare raw weights, because beef unlike turkey can be cooked other than well done, which will also affect how much fat is left in the food. I don't know what assumptions your image made about how the beef is cooked - if it's cooked to "well done" then my resulting burger is going to have more of the fat (and more calories) left when I take it off the grill.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    Ground turkey caused laboratory rats to go into starvation mode. That's what Dr. Oz said on Friday. :|

    Of course he did. I wouldn't take his advice for anything. Just me.
  • YalithKBK
    YalithKBK Posts: 317 Member
    I grew up eating ground turkey instead of ground beef (no red meat/pork, only poultry/fish). I turned out alright.
  • tugsandpulls760
    tugsandpulls760 Posts: 206 Member
    turkey meatloaf turkey meatballs turkey burgers turkey helper turkey chopsuey turkey sherpards pie get my point? I love ground turkey
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    goalreacher998 wrote: »
    macgurlnet wrote: »
    Is there something you've heard/read that makes you think it's not going to help?

    I love using ground turkey for tacos!

    ~Lyssa

    No, not necessarily. I've just never really eaten ground turkey before so I don't know how much fat or anything is in it. It tastes great! I'm just starting my weight loss so I guess that's why I'm not sure what's "good" or bad.

    First thing to do would be to stop labeling food as good or bad.

    ^^This.

    Second thing, I would read the stickied "Most Helpful Forum Posts" at the top of the Getting Started section. In particular, I think these are fantastic.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    goalreacher998 wrote: »
    So I made a decent amount of ground turkey and cooked it with a few spices (no salt) and a little olive oil. I've been eating some of it with meals, and it's pretty tasty! But is it actually all that good for you? I do weigh it, and don't eat all that much at a time, but I don't want to keep eating it if it's not going to help with my weight loss.
    Thanks. :)

    There are no foods or supplements that will make you lose weight. Only a calorie deficit can do that. Here's the thing though, ground turkey, or turkey, or chicken in general is a high protein low fat food (assuming you don't eat the skin) so yea, if you want to eat more protein and less fat (for less calories, fat in itself doesn't make you 'fat') then I love ground turkey, turkey sausage, turkey brats, turkey cutlets, and plain ol baked turkey. I even BBQ turkey all the time. Good stuff.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    goalreacher998 wrote: »
    So I made a decent amount of ground turkey and cooked it with a few spices (no salt) and a little olive oil. I've been eating some of it with meals, and it's pretty tasty! But is it actually all that good for you? I do weigh it, and don't eat all that much at a time, but I don't want to keep eating it if it's not going to help with my weight loss.
    Thanks. :)

    Good for you in what way? It's a lean protein...that's pretty much it. That said, I prefer ground beef...there's pretty much zero difference between 93% gb and 93% gt.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    When you say "eating with meals" I have the impression that you're eating it along your meals thinking that eating turkey is some sort of a slimming substance.
    It is not.
    Turkey could be a good substitution for other fat meats and that's why it is sometimes recommend. But not "added to" the fat meats if you see what I mean. It is not "slimming" in itself.
    I personally avoid it because it has no taste to me. Tastes like toilet paper (yes I've tried lol).

    Good catch. I reread the OP and am also perplexed at the use of the phrase "eating with meals" and also the concept of adding olive oil and eating it plain - that sounds like one of the worst uses of ground turkey I can imagine. I use it because it is lean, so adding olive oil defeats that purpose; and because it is so lean it is also pretty flavorless so I only use it "in" things like tacos, chili, spaghetti sauce, etc. I actually usually cook 1-2 lbs of ground turkey and 1-2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef and combine them into 1 lb portions in ziplock bags - then use those 1 lb portions for cooking weeknight dinners. I almost never eat plain ground turkey, even on a burger.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Turkey is fine. I personally like it and that's why I have it in my diet.

    Be aware that if you're buying a turkey burger it is not necessarily any lower calorie that a ground beef burger. There is, for example, a really tasty turkey burger at my favorite burger joint. Tastes just like a grilled Thanksgiving meal: 1/4 lb Turkey burger + sage and spices + tomato + cranberry aioli + brioche bun. It's MORE calories than their Wine Country burger (also a fave): 1/4 lb ground chuck + goat cheese + caramelized onions + wine & balsamic glaze + brioche bun.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    choppie70 wrote: »
    If you are buying ground turkey to save on calories, then make sure you are reading labels carefully. Not all ground turkey has less calories than ground beef.

    This. I buy it if it's cheaper than beef and if it works for whatever I'm making (chili but not burgers).

  • goalreacher998
    goalreacher998 Posts: 22 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    When you say "eating with meals" I have the impression that you're eating it along your meals thinking that eating turkey is some sort of a slimming substance.
    It is not.
    Turkey could be a good substitution for other fat meats and that's why it is sometimes recommend. But not "added to" the fat meats if you see what I mean. It is not "slimming" in itself.
    I personally avoid it because it has no taste to me. Tastes like toilet paper (yes I've tried lol).

    Good catch. I reread the OP and am also perplexed at the use of the phrase "eating with meals" and also the concept of adding olive oil and eating it plain - that sounds like one of the worst uses of ground turkey I can imagine. I use it because it is lean, so adding olive oil defeats that purpose; and because it is so lean it is also pretty flavorless so I only use it "in" things like tacos, chili, spaghetti sauce, etc. I actually usually cook 1-2 lbs of ground turkey and 1-2 lbs of 80/20 ground beef and combine them into 1 lb portions in ziplock bags - then use those 1 lb portions for cooking weeknight dinners. I almost never eat plain ground turkey, even on a burger.

    I guess I worded that weird, but eating it with meals meant putting it in stuff. :/
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    I second the "read the label" suggestion. Just because it's turkey doesn't automatically mean that it's lean.

    For ground meat, about 90% lean or more is pretty lean. You can buy it even leaner than that, 93% or even 95% lean, if you want. It's an easy way to save calories.

    Lean turkey (or any other meat, really) is likely to dry out during cooking unless you add something to keep it moist. If you're cooking it in soup, in a sauce, or with a lot of added vegetables, that should take care of it. Otherwise, you'd probably want to add some healthy fat. Buying very lean meat (turkey or anything else) and adding a healthy fat like olive oil is a good way to reduce saturated fat, if that's important to you.
  • hdrenollet
    hdrenollet Posts: 147 Member
    edited May 2017
    I love using ground turkey for tacos and sloppy joes. I always get the 99% lean which is lower in calories compared to lean ground beef and I honestly just think it tastes better. My kids like it too.

    This is what I normally use:

    4n19sykm9mr7.png
  • Birdie1952
    Birdie1952 Posts: 48 Member
    hdrenollet wrote: »
    I love using ground turkey for tacos and sloppy joes. I always get the 99% lean which is lower in calories compared to lean ground beef and I honestly just think it tastes better. My kids like it too.

    This is what I normally use:

    4n19sykm9mr7.png

    This is what I use also. I will take half of the package (10oz) mix it with sage, salt and pepper flakes. Make it into 5 patties. Fry in a little avocado oil until done. After it cools wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Just take out of a morning and heat in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds and eat with a boiled egg. Makes a delicious breakfast in a hurry. I use this stuff for burgers and tacos too.
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