Is Ground Turkey really that good for you?

brandie_lou
brandie_lou Posts: 46
in Food and Nutrition
I just made some turkey tacos with a small tube of Butterball ground turkey. But the tube is like 1,000 (for a small tube) but yet the taco kit I got (Old El Paso says that for 2 tacos, 2 tbsp salsa, 2 tbsp seasoning and filled with 2 tbsp lean ground beef is only 250 calories). But yet the ground turkey is almost over 300 for 4 oz (before cooked). The packet of seasoning seems pretty crazy, too.

So when I just put together my turkey taco recipe, it doesn't seem that healthy? It seems that it would be? Any pointers?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/edit/16630179
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Replies

  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Depends on how lean the turkey is that you bought. If you get 95-99% lean, then yes, it is good for you. I generally find when I'm shopping that the stuff that comes in the tubes isn't all that lean. You can also try ground chicken....
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Use a leaner ground turkey. Jeannie-O ground turkey (93/7, I think) is 160 calories for 4 oz.
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    I don't know. I just find ground turkey to be disgusting. My first husband had gout and was told to eat it in place of hamburger. After getting a good state of it. I figure he could just have a sore toe. Lol
  • cjh03
    cjh03 Posts: 74 Member
    Use a leaner ground turkey. Jeannie-O ground turkey (93/7, I think) is 160 calories for 4 oz.

    ^^ This.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    no, 85/15 is as bad for you as 85/15 meat from other sources.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Depends on how lean the turkey is that you bought. If you get 95-99% lean, then yes, it is good for you. I generally find when I'm shopping that the stuff that comes in the tubes isn't all that lean. You can also try ground chicken....

    Because fat is bad for you, amirite?
  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
    I use 93/7 ground turkey and then drain all the fat and oil once the meat is done cooking. So I would expect it to be as lean as 98-99% turkey. But the leaner you go, the less "stuff" like ligaments, tendons, and bone fragments are in there. 85/15 is terrible cuz you're always picking out "stuff" from your teeth...
  • jaclyndanette
    jaclyndanette Posts: 46
    I use 93/7 ground turkey in package - not tube - all the time. I substitute it for everything I'd use ground beef for - tacos, ziti with meat, meatloaf, meatballs, and even hamburgers on occasion - and most people don't even notice the difference. I find that when I put in my normal seasonings - anything with garlic - I cant taste the difference!
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    Depends on how lean the turkey is that you bought. If you get 95-99% lean, then yes, it is good for you. I generally find when I'm shopping that the stuff that comes in the tubes isn't all that lean. You can also try ground chicken....

    Because fat is bad for you, amirite?

    It's because of the saturated fat........












    being an essential part of the diet.
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,372 Member
    It is definitely all about the % of fat in this case. Also, try making your own taco seasoning to avoid all of the junk in store-bought. Here's one that turns out great: http://tinyurl.com/celc8r5
  • brandie_lou
    brandie_lou Posts: 46
    I'll pay closer attention. I thought they were all the same. Each day, education, education.

    Thanks guys.
  • cloza12
    cloza12 Posts: 68 Member
    Use a leaner ground turkey. Jeannie-O ground turkey (93/7, I think) is 160 calories for 4 oz.

    Agree.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    It is definitely all about the % of fat in this case. Also, try making your own taco seasoning to avoid all of the junk in store-bought. Here's one that turns out great: http://tinyurl.com/celc8r5

    Whats wrong with store bought taco seasoning?
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    I think it's better. Tastes pretty much the same to me too and the kids can't tell the difference. Better in sodium too, which is why we use that instead of beef--for hubby.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    It is definitely all about the % of fat in this case. Also, try making your own taco seasoning to avoid all of the junk in store-bought. Here's one that turns out great: http://tinyurl.com/celc8r5

    Whats wrong with store bought taco seasoning?

    Umm, yeah. My taco seasoning has:
    Spices (including chili pepeprs, cumin, oregano, and red pepper), onion, Whey solids (milk), salt, sugar, paprika, garlic, potato starch and citric acid.

    Where's the "added junk"? Whey solids and potato starch probably make it thick when you add it to the meat. Citric acid is something you can buy and is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative.

    Salt? Well salt is salt and while sugar is probably not necessary it gives it a little bit of taste is my guess.

    So again, where is all the "added junk"?:huh:

    ETA: This is literally a recipe that you could probably use to make it from home.
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    I just use 93% of any meat, could care less about the type
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    Depends on how lean the turkey is that you bought. If you get 95-99% lean, then yes, it is good for you. I generally find when I'm shopping that the stuff that comes in the tubes isn't all that lean. You can also try ground chicken....

    Because fat is bad for you, amirite?

    I'm assuming that someone who posts this type of question is still striving for weight loss and probably doesn't have a lot of knowledge on the topic of good vs bad fats.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You can make some awesome tacos with ingredients that don't come in tubes and packets. As far as turkey goes, I use ground turkey and turkey bacon a lot, primarily because I'm watching my saturated fat intake...generally speaking, it is leaner than ground beef or pork but that's not always the case; you have to read the label. When I'm within my sat fat goals, I opt for beef and occasionally real bacon. Turkey gets old. Regardless, I have beef twice/week...gotta have steak and gotta have burger.
  • AJ_Pete
    AJ_Pete Posts: 863 Member
    Use a leaner ground turkey. Jeannie-O ground turkey (93/7, I think) is 160 calories for 4 oz.

    Took the words out of my mouth.

    Also, steer clear of any meat in a tube ;)
  • sweetbippy
    sweetbippy Posts: 189 Member
    The Oct. 2012 Runners Mag lists ground turkey as a food to avoid due to high sodium and saturated fat content. They list skinless chicken thighs or turkey legs as a better option. It's a 9 page article on good, better, and best foods as well as foods to avoid and why. Interesting and informative.
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    Use a leaner ground turkey. Jeannie-O ground turkey (93/7, I think) is 160 calories for 4 oz.


    ^^^^ This. I cook with it all the time. Haven't cooked with ground beef in over 20 years.
  • idream2bgwen
    idream2bgwen Posts: 424 Member
    I get the 97/3 ground turkey not in the tube. I also cook and drain the grease and rinse the meat. I also have noticed that the premade taco seasoning is a bit high on the sodium side of things so I have some great pampered chef seasonings that I use that aren't as high. Best of luck! :flowerforyou:
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Taco seasoning made at home takes about one minute to make, tastes fresher and more vivid, and doesn't contain MSG. Okay that's fine if you can get taco seasoning without dubious ingredients, but last time I went to the store, both Old El Paso and Ortega listed Monosodium Glutamate for all their taco seasoning products. You might want to look again just in case.

    Anyway, turkey is a lean meat, I agree it tastes good in certain contexts. In others, you may not enjoy the "gumminess" of the texture. Is it healthier for you than red meat? Yes, if you have a problem with cholesterol or saturated fat. Or if the difference in calories is significant to you (low calorie does not always mean healthier). I do sometimes replace beef with turkey, if it tastes good, but since I don't eat a lot of saturated fat and my cholesterol is not problematic, it's not really a huge concern
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Taco seasoning made at home takes about one minute to make, tastes fresher and more vivid, and doesn't contain MSG. Okay that's fine if you can get taco seasoning with it, but last time I went to the store, both Old El Paso and Ortega listed Monosodium Glutamate for all their taco seasoning products. You might want to look again just in case

    No MSG on my grocery store brand taco seasoning.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    No MSG on my grocery store brand taco seasoning.

    Do you mind sharing the brand? I don't know if anything local to me has their own store brand
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Taco seasoning made at home takes about one minute to make, tastes fresher and more vivid, and doesn't contain MSG. Okay that's fine if you can get taco seasoning without dubious ingredients, but last time I went to the store, both Old El Paso and Ortega listed Monosodium Glutamate for all their taco seasoning products. You might want to look again just in case.

    Anyway, turkey is a lean meat, I agree it tastes good in certain contexts. In others, you may not enjoy the "gumminess" of the texture. Is it healthier for you than red meat? Yes, if you have a problem with cholesterol or saturated fat. Or if the difference in calories is significant to you (low calorie does not always mean healthier). I do sometimes replace beef with turkey, if it tastes good, but since I don't eat a lot of saturated fat and my cholesterol is not problematic, it's not really a huge concern

    What is wrong with MSG?
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,372 Member
    Jeez a lot of hate on the homemade seasoning lol. I'm not going to go out and find a packet with 'junk' in it, but yeah, they are out there and making your own is easy. If you don't want to, don't! JUST a SUGGESTION!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,219 Member
    Taco seasoning made at home takes about one minute to make, tastes fresher and more vivid, and doesn't contain MSG. Okay that's fine if you can get taco seasoning without dubious ingredients, but last time I went to the store, both Old El Paso and Ortega listed Monosodium Glutamate for all their taco seasoning products. You might want to look again just in case.

    Anyway, turkey is a lean meat, I agree it tastes good in certain contexts. In others, you may not enjoy the "gumminess" of the texture. Is it healthier for you than red meat? Yes, if you have a problem with cholesterol or saturated fat. Or if the difference in calories is significant to you (low calorie does not always mean healthier). I do sometimes replace beef with turkey, if it tastes good, but since I don't eat a lot of saturated fat and my cholesterol is not problematic, it's not really a huge concern

    What is wrong with MSG?
    Er, it has MSG in it. :wink:
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Taco seasoning made at home takes about one minute to make, tastes fresher and more vivid, and doesn't contain MSG. Okay that's fine if you can get taco seasoning with it, but last time I went to the store, both Old El Paso and Ortega listed Monosodium Glutamate for all their taco seasoning products. You might want to look again just in case

    No MSG on my grocery store brand taco seasoning.

    Hope you're not using lettuce
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    No MSG on my grocery store brand taco seasoning.

    Do you mind sharing the brand? I don't know if anything local to me has their own store brand

    I don't know where you're from but it's a local store that's in Massachusetts and Connecticut: Big Y is the name/brand of the stuff. They actually make quite a few things that don't have added crap in it. I read and compare labels on everything that I buy for the added garbage.

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