Think Ground Turkey Is Better For You Then Ground Beef?

TrainingWithTonya
TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
Think again! Just a little side by side comparison for you.

The %'s listed (IE: 90% lean 10% fat, etc.) are based on the weight/volume not the calories. Here are some links for nutrition labels of both ground beef and ground turkey.

http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/wal-mart/lean-ground-beef-93-7
93% lean/7% fat ground beef, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated, 23 grams protein

http://www.jennieo.com/products/GroundTurkey/937LeanGroundTurkey.aspx
93% lean/7% fat ground turkey, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated, 21 grams protein

So, same serving size, same amount of calories, same amount of total fat, but the turkey has less protein and only slightly less saturated fat. Not really an improvement. And that's if you can get comparable %'s in both. I buy the 93/7 ground beef at Wal-Mart because it is the leanest I can get in my small town. The only ground turkey they have is 85/15. Here's a link to it too:

http://www.jennieo.com/products/GroundTurkey/8515GroundTurkey.aspx
85% lean/15% fat ground turkey, 4 ounce serving, 220 calories, 17 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, and only 19 grams protein.

Yeah, I definitely don't buy the only ground turkey available in my small town. ;) So, next time you are shopping for ground meat, be sure you look at the nutrition facts label and not just the % lean and assume that turkey is better then beef.
«1

Replies

  • LKSmith61
    LKSmith61 Posts: 10
    lol - I just posted about this yesterday - I was so disappointed in the ground turkey facts when I plugged them in here. Here I thought I was being healthier, but not at all! And I don't even like ground turkey! Have a great weekend!

    Laura
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
    I think the issue is that you can't find lean ground turkey around you. I'm from a pretty big city (surburb of Chicago) and can easily find 97% lean ground turkey, whereas I can only get 93% lean ground beef. All fat is the same (calorically). Each gram of fat has 9 calories in it. So it doesn't matter if this fat comes from beef, turkey, or twinkies, each gram has 9 calories.
  • redfroggie
    redfroggie Posts: 591 Member
    This is great as I can't stand ground turkey. When my husband and I were first living together he was vegetarian for health reasons, but would eat turkey for protein, I made turkey tacos, BLECH, turkey bolognese BLECH, turkey burgers BLECH BLECH. I finally converted him over to the beef side of life.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I only buy lean ground turkey - it is a little more expensive here, but worth it.

    Also, I can't stand the taste of ground beef now, so regardless of the nutritional side of it -- I won't eat it. *gag*
  • karensoxfan
    karensoxfan Posts: 902 Member
    Lean turkey is usually less expensive than lean beef though, and has a different taste, so there are reasons to buy it besides the health differences.

    I agree though that grd. turkey is NOT necessarily "healthier" than ground beef.
  • cor1234
    cor1234 Posts: 6
    if you eat out , order from jimmy johns and ask to for slim turkey on wheat bread. Yummy!!! low in cals!!!
  • sarahbear1981
    sarahbear1981 Posts: 610 Member
    This is why turkey is better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wshlnRWnf30&feature=share
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    There's a big difference between Ground Turkey and Ground Turkey Breast.
  • irishgal44
    irishgal44 Posts: 1,141 Member
    Thanks for the info....I gag at the thought of ground turkeu. I just can't get past the taste. However, turkey hotdogs are very good for those who have wanted to know. :)
  • runlorirun
    runlorirun Posts: 389
    That is interesting. I love the 93/7 ground turkey but not as a replacement for beef, I use it as something different to have. Kind of glad now that I wasn't using it as a replacement...lol
  • Newmammaluv
    Newmammaluv Posts: 379 Member
    Very interesting!! I always look at the calorie vs. volume ratio. What is going to give me the best bang for my calorie buck. There's nothing worse than having a "full" meal and still being hungry!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    My hubby used to say he hated ground turkey breast and never wanted to eat it. After I cooked it for him and he learned that ground turkey breast can be well seasoned and not cooked to the point of ridiculous dryness and now he loves it. I buy the 99/1 ground turkey breast so for 4oz it's 120 cal, 1.6g Fat, .5 Sat Fat, 55g Chol, 70mg Sod, 26g Prot.

    I use it for burgers, to stuff peppers, to stuff portabella mushroom caps, rolled up in thinly sliced eggplant for pasta free cannelloni, in egg scrambles, in tacos, in burritos, basically in anything. It's all about cooking it properly. A combo of the right seasonings, right ingredients it's cooked with and not overcooking so it doesn't dry out.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
    Most ground turkey BREAST has 120 calories per 4 ounces, 2 grams of fat and 26 grams of protein.

    Regular ground turkey is breast and dark meat.
  • pixietoes
    pixietoes Posts: 1,591 Member
    There's a big difference between Ground Turkey and Ground Turkey Breast.

    Word.

    I don't buy meat at Walmart, so I'm not familiar with their facilities, but at the supermarket where I do buy meat, I can take any cut of beef, pork or poultry I choose to the butcher and ask him to grind it to my specifications. It only takes a few minutes and I know EXACTLY what I'm taking home with me.
  • AKosky585
    AKosky585 Posts: 607 Member
    I can get 99% lean ground turkey here. Only 1g of fat and 120 calories per 4 oz serving

    I can also get 95% lean ground beef here....5g of fat, 140 calories per 4oz serving

    It is available, you just have to find it. There is only one store chain that I am able to find these around me...but I definitely make sure I go there for my meats because they do have the leaner selections.
  • christine24t
    christine24t Posts: 6,063 Member
    I like the taste of ground turkey better...it's almost spicier. In my town, I can only find 93/7, but I've seen leaner packages in the cities.
  • britachu
    britachu Posts: 157
    I eat ground turkey over ground beef for health reasons (I'm not supposed to have a lot of red meat), but I like the flavor better anyway usually.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Thank you, Tonya, for debunking the myth. It doesn't matter if you like turkey or beef better, either way, there is no point in deluding oneself about which is healthier.
  • JEDDIE89
    JEDDIE89 Posts: 17
    Super Target sells Jennie-O extra lean ground turkey (1% fat). It's a $1 more than the 93/7 and takes a little getting used to, but if seasoned right, it is delicious.
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    I eat ground turkey and ground chicken because ground beef makes me vomit...
  • LianaG1115
    LianaG1115 Posts: 453 Member
    Regular bacon is also better than turkey bacon!! lol we're all conned damn food industries!!
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    My cat won't eat ground turkey which should have been a clue but I fell for the lean meat, healthy whole grain spiel so for about 6 months I made my family eat it and told them you couldn't even tell the difference. :laugh: Never again.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    Lean turkey is usually less expensive than lean beef though, and has a different taste, so there are reasons to buy it besides the health differences.

    I agree though that grd. turkey is NOT necessarily "healthier" than ground beef.

    Yes, I can usually get lean ground tureky cheaper than lean ground beef. 93/7 turkey goes on sale fairly regularly, but it's hard to find a good deal on even 90/10 ground beef.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    My cat won't eat ground turkey which should have been a clue but I fell for the lean meat, healthy whole grain spiel so for about 6 months I made my family eat it and told them you couldn't even tell the difference. :laugh: Never again.

    Meh... I had a cat who wouldn't eat mussels or lobster.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Wait! I had killed this thread 3 years ago!!! :mad:
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/wal-mart/lean-ground-beef-93-7
    93% lean/7% fat ground beef, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated, 23 grams protein

    http://www.jennieo.com/products/GroundTurkey/937LeanGroundTurkey.aspx
    93% lean/7% fat ground turkey, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated, 21 grams protein

    I'm not a big proponent of ground turkey (although there are a few recipes with it I like), but I'm not seeing how it can possible have the same fat, less protein, 0 carbs and the same number of calories (is the ground turkey 20 proof?). I suspect your labels are incorrect - I don't see how it can have equal/less of all the macronutrients and still have the same calories, as calories have to come from somewhere.

    Edit: Wow that necro.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/wal-mart/lean-ground-beef-93-7
    93% lean/7% fat ground beef, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated, 23 grams protein

    http://www.jennieo.com/products/GroundTurkey/937LeanGroundTurkey.aspx
    93% lean/7% fat ground turkey, 4 ounce serving, 170 calories, 8 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated, 21 grams protein

    I'm not a big proponent of ground turkey (although there are a few recipes with it I like), but I'm not seeing how it can possible have the same fat, less protein, 0 carbs and the same number of calories (is the ground turkey 20 proof?). I suspect your labels are incorrect - I don't see how it can have equal/less of all the macronutrients and still have the same calories, as calories have to come from somewhere.

    Edit: Wow that necro.

    This was my thought as well. The math doesn't work, unless JennieO is adding some type of carb to their turkey.

    ETA: from USDA nutrition search

    Ground beef 85/15 - 100g - Calories: 215, protein 18.59, fat 15g, sat fat 5.9, carbs 0
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/7417

    Ground turkey 85/15 - 100 g - Calories 180, protein 16.9, fat 12.54, sat fat 3.4, carbs 0
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/1093
  • AllieMarie2244
    AllieMarie2244 Posts: 106 Member
    Extra Lean Ground Turkey from Jennie o has 120calories in it per serving
    protein isnt listed on the website...

    but doesn't the stomach take longer to "digest'" red meat over white meats?
  • JEDDIE89
    JEDDIE89 Posts: 17
    I guess I've never really compared the labels, but regular bacon just seems to have so much more fat than turkey bacon. I can't eat regular bacon - just thinking about all the fat on it makes me sick. I'm sure any kind of bacon isn't good for you anyways, though.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I guess I've never really compared the labels, but regular bacon just seems to have so much more fat than turkey bacon. I can't eat regular bacon - just thinking about all the fat on it makes me sick. I'm sure any kind of bacon isn't good for you anyways, though.

    Regular bacon is slices of pork belly, which is a fatty cut of meat. Turkey bacon is a product made from pulverized turkey and dyed to look like strips of pork belly. Less fat is generally used to make the turkey product.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories