Is Ground Turkey really that good for you?

Also, steer clear of any meat in a tube

^^^this.

what the hell is meat in a tube??? sounds discusting :sick:

OMFG I had no idea so many people would flip the he## out of that. Instead of it coming in a plastic trey or box, it comes in a paper wrapped "tube". For those who don't need 4-6 lbs of meet in the paper tray. It's small and round, usually for a small serving. Hamburger beef, sausage and ground chicken comes in the exact same thing in the damn meat section. Geeze.

No meat in a tube? Next thing you know you're going to tell me I shouldn't eat hot dogs. Mmmmm.....hot dogs....... argharghargharghghghahahaghghrrhghgahah

I prefer ground white meat chicken for taco meat. It has the best taste and consistency while minimizing calories, fat and other negatives. If you get just the white meat, it will be much leaner... that is true of the turkey, too... but I found the chicken was just a bit better in my taco meat and family/friends who taste tested agreed.

As for your taco seasoning, why to make it at home? 1) It is WAY cheaper 2) You can make it as hot or mild as you like and 3) most importantly, even the "lower sodium" versions are OUTRAGEOUS for sodium content. For example, 2 measly teaspoons of Old El Paso & Taco Bell both have 560 mg of sodium (given daily recommended is 2,000, that's a lot), Krogers has 420 mg... you get the idea.

Here's a fast and easy recipe to make it if you want to try it. I got rave reviews from it and it has NO sodium in it.

2 teaspoons hot chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
I use 1/2 tsp of NoSalt so that my seasoning is salt-free... but if you REALLY want to use salt, then to keep the sodium lower, try
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Morton's Lite Salt maybe??? But, I'd suggest you try the NoSalt, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Again, learning. Each day is a baby step and I'm learning. I also think I'll enjoy the taste and texture of beef as compared to turkey due to the gummy-ness.

Have you tried the white meat ground chicken I mentioned? It is healthier (less fat, less cholesterol, less bad stuff) than beef,it is a true lean protein, and it tastes better with better texture than turkey IMHO.

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.

The "junk" could be in the "spices". MSG does not have to be listed separately on the label if it is part of something else. It is why you will often see "No added MSG" on a label. Almost every time you see a label with that on it, means there is MSG in the product. What you really want to see is "No MSG" or you want to see every spice listed separately if you are trying to avoid it. Also be aware of "spice extract".

MSG gives me wicked migraines, so I really had to learn what to look for.

As for ground turkey, it's about as good as any other ground meat. Personally I prefer moose.

I have tried and tried, I just cant eat that stuff. On the other hand it sure cuts down my calorie intake. LOL

I only buy 99/1 ground turkey, and although it's hard to swallow sometimes, it's a phenomenal way to hit protein goals without overloading on fat. I just macerate it with Sriracha.

You are aware MSG is a naturally occurring chemical in just about everything, including meat and most vegetables, right?

Yes, glutamates are in many things. Just because is naturally occuring doesn't mean it's a good thing. It's a matter of the quantity and concentration of free glutamate that is problematic. Mushrooms and parmesan are both naturally very high and I have to avoid them for the most part. In terms of meat and poultry, anything with "flavor enhancing" solution added. How meat and fish are processed also makes a difference. Plus anything with hydrolized protein, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast, and soy products.

No scientific studies have shown that MSG actually has any adverse effects when used in food.

You are aware MSG is a naturally occurring chemical in just about everything, including meat and most vegetables, right?

Yes, glutamates are in many things. Just because is naturally occuring doesn't mean it's a good thing. It's a matter of the quantity and concentration of free glutamate that is problematic. Mushrooms and parmesan are both naturally very high and I have to avoid them for the most part. In terms of meat and poultry, anything with "flavor enhancing" solution added. How meat and fish are processed also makes a difference. Plus anything with hydrolized protein, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast, and soy products.

No scientific studies have shown that MSG actually has any adverse effects when used in food.

That is correct and the FDA considers it as "generally recognized as safe" which is why it can be in some things and not be labelled. There being no scientific study showing it as adverse, does not mean that it is healthy. For myself, I need to avoid as much of it as possible because it is problematic. Migraines are not pleasant and I prefer avoid them so I avoid the trigger which in my case is high levels of free glutamate.