Ground turkey vs Lean ground beef

dustyhockeymom
dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
I was very surprised when I figured out that extra lean ground beef had less calories and fat than ground turkey. People always talk about eating ground turkey when they are trying to loose weight. Other than not wanting to eat red meat, what would the reason for that be? Am I missing something? I know my husband would prefer anything with ground beef than ground turkey, so if I can still do that, it will be a plus in my home.

Replies

  • ricnrac
    ricnrac Posts: 95 Member
    I noticed that too. I want to know what people say about this one.
  • shipleyd
    shipleyd Posts: 94 Member
    Bump
  • Fat2FitChick
    Fat2FitChick Posts: 451 Member
    I'd like to know this as well because from what I have learned even the Sat. fat in the beef is not as bad as people think.
  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    Personally I just feel better after ground turkey then I do ground beef. It tastes lighter and lately after I eat beef I get a tummy ache.
  • blondie_girl14
    blondie_girl14 Posts: 198 Member
    I guess you'd have to get the really lean turkey, the one that tastes not so good (to me at least)
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    Lean ground beef is about the same as ground turkey. People say ground turkey is better than ground beef meaning the 78/22 ground beef not ground chuck, ground round, or ground sirloin. All much better choices.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I don't see the problem with either of them, although the beef has more flavor.
  • DPruneda17
    DPruneda17 Posts: 124 Member
    Yea, you need to look for the LEAN ground turkey. If you buy the cheap stuff, like the 85/15, it has dark turkey meat mixed in which isn't as healthy. The 99%, 98% etc. ground turkey IS lower in fat and calories then lean ground beef.
  • wchandle
    wchandle Posts: 2
    Don't forget costs. So much advice out there on how to eat healthy totally ignores the cost of food. ( I could scream the next time I read an article or see a PBS special where you are told you have to only eat organic - who can afford that? ) If you have to watch your pennies, then $2.00/lb. sale ground turkey is a far better value than $4.50+/lb. 93% lean beef. Which is a shame, because I just prefer having red meat over chicken or turkey. Maybe it's a guy thing, but I always had beef 4-5 times a week; red meat in any form is preferable. Anything more than once a week for turkey or chicken reminds me that I'm making sacrifices to diet!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    My understanding is ground turkey has some dark mixed in with it. If you can find ground turkey BREAST that would cut out some calories and fat. I love the whole turkey breasts grilled and when I can't find ground turkey breast I buy the whole breast and grind my own.
  • cmw9696
    cmw9696 Posts: 123
    I cook with both...either the 93/7 ground turkey or the 90/10 ground beef...It tends to be a flavor thing mostly, but then, I always take into consideration the price sometimes too, in otherwords, what is on sale that week...they are about the same price where I live in Iowa.
    to me, I think it is a preference fo taste
  • Fertilegrounds5
    Fertilegrounds5 Posts: 75
    Nope. The ground turkey is a little cheaper in my opinion. I am not a big red meat eater so sometimes I combined the 2. I actually have been able to find 93/7 ground beef
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Well, where I live I can get 96/4 lean ground beef for $3.18 a pound but 85/15 ground turkey is $3.78 a pound, so obviously, I go with the ground beef. Why would I pay 60 cents more for more fat? And the fat in turkey is saturated too. Pretty much all animal fat is saturated.

    Another thing to note is that the percentages are based on volume weight not on calories or grams of fat. So, look at the actual grams of fat and figure the caloric percentages instead of going by the volume percentages. If you are looking at volume percentages and they are close in numbers, then you may want to see which one has a better fat profile calorie wise.
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
    I was very surprised when I figured out that extra lean ground beef had less calories and fat than ground turkey. People always talk about eating ground turkey when they are trying to loose weight. Other than not wanting to eat red meat, what would the reason for that be? Am I missing something? I know my husband would prefer anything with ground beef than ground turkey, so if I can still do that, it will be a plus in my home.

    Well it depends on what type of beef or ground turkey you are talking about. We don't eat ground beef anymore. I haven't bought in years. I get 93/7 ground turkey. They do have an even leaner ground turkey. Jenny O has an Extra Lean ground turkey that is 99% fat free. But that is more expensive in my area. So I buy ground turkey 93/7 at Sam's.

    Here is the nutritional information for Jenny O turkey. They also have higher fat content ground turkey. But I stick with 93/7 or leaner.

    http://www.jennieo.com/products/GroundTurkey/default.aspx
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
    Nope. The ground turkey is a little cheaper in my opinion. I am not a big red meat eater so sometimes I combined the 2. I actually have been able to find 93/7 ground beef

    I agree. My stomach doesn't tolerate beef anymore.
  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
    I personally like Ground Chicken. 2.99/lb at Fresh & Easy versus the Extra Lean Ground Beef Costing $5-6.50 when on sale.
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
    Thanks for the input. At my grocery store, the ground turkey is regular 85/15 and lean 97/3. I have been buying the 97/3 assuming that must be lower in fat and calories than the 97/3 ground beef or sirlion I usually buy. The cost is about comparable for the two. However, when I actually sat down and did my research, I was surprised to find that the fat and calories of those two products was higher for the turkey. It was minimal, and for some recipes ground turkey is going to taste better. But I feel better knowing I can make a meal my husband likes better and still be on track.
  • 3LittleMonkeys
    3LittleMonkeys Posts: 373 Member
    The 97/3 ground beef or turkey is about the same. Give or take 10-20 calories. I think it would depend on the brand.

    I would get what is on sale and your family likes.
  • ChangeIsADecision
    ChangeIsADecision Posts: 709 Member
    interesting thread!!
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Beef has more iron. I like to eat them during my TOM.
  • cjaszcz1
    cjaszcz1 Posts: 3
    I found this on the Cooking Light web site:

    You trade ground turkey for ground beef in recipes to save sat fat.

    Result: Unless you’re careful, not much savings over lean beef.
    Turkey breast is lean, but dark meat isn’t, and some ground turkey contains both. A quarter pound of regular ground turkey contains 3g sat fat. Compare that to only 2.5g in the same amount of sirloin. Ground turkey breast, on the other hand, has just half a gram of sat fat, so the right cut of turkey is a significant fat-cutter.

    What to do: Read the label; buy the lean.

    I guess you could always buy the turkey breast and have them ground by the butcher to be sure what cut you are getting, but to me that will have no flavor. I guess I will stick with lean ground beef since it has more flavor anyway. All in moderation right?

    OK... So I also found this too. But it is from the beef website, so it could be biased. I'm sure beef producers don't want consumers swapping anything for the meat they are trying to sell...

    http://www.beefnutrition.org/CMDocs/BeefNutrition/Updated Materials/Beef Nutrients/GBvsGT_FactSheet.pdf
  • likewhoa712
    likewhoa712 Posts: 95 Member
    What about ground chicken? I don't like the taste of ground turkey but I made a chicken meatloaf that tasted pretty good.... Would that be healthier than the turkey?
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,858 Member
    Yea, you need to look for the LEAN ground turkey. If you buy the cheap stuff, like the 85/15, it has dark turkey meat mixed in which isn't as healthy. The 99%, 98% etc. ground turkey IS lower in fat and calories then lean ground beef.

    And tastes like eating chunks of drywall. :sad:

    Give me 93% lean beef for meat sauce and tacos and such, and ground sirloin for meatballs and burgers!

    Edited: Because while spelling is easy, typing is apparently hard!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    1) Zombie thread!

    2) Some of this has to do with taste. I'm so not a fan of ground turkey and neither is Hubs so we stick with the lean ground beef.

    3) Re: the question below - just like with ground turkey, it all depends on the content. You really have to check the labels. If the ground chicken contains some dark meat, it could be more fatty than a very lean ground beef. Also, low fat doesn't necessarily mean it's healthier. We do need some fat in our diets, you just have to pick the right kinds of fat and not eat too much of it.
    What about ground chicken? I don't like the taste of ground turkey but I made a chicken meatloaf that tasted pretty good.... Would that be healthier than the turkey?
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
    90/10 ground beef is approximately the same calories and exactly the same fat as 90/10 ground turkey. When people say ground turkey is "healthier" than ground beef, they mean the average ground turkey you find is going to have a higher lean-to-fat ratio than the average ground beef you find. Turkey is usually only found in approximately 90/10 lean-to-fat, but beef can be found anywhere from 90/10 to 70/30.

    If I'm going to use a lean ground meat I prefer turkey because I feel beef only tastes good at a higher fat content. Lean turkey tastes better than lean beef, even though fatty beef tastes better than lean turkey to me.
  • likewhoa712
    likewhoa712 Posts: 95 Member
    1) Zombie thread!

    2) Some of this has to do with taste. I'm so not a fan of ground turkey and neither is Hubs so we stick with the lean ground beef.

    3) Re: the question below - just like with ground turkey, it all depends on the content. You really have to check the labels. If the ground chicken contains some dark meat, it could be more fatty than a very lean ground beef. Also, low fat doesn't necessarily mean it's healthier. We do need some fat in our diets, you just have to pick the right kinds of fat and not eat too much of it.
    What about ground chicken? I don't like the taste of ground turkey but I made a chicken meatloaf that tasted pretty good.... Would that be healthier than the turkey?

    Thanks... What does Zombie thread mean?
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    1) Zombie thread!

    2) Some of this has to do with taste. I'm so not a fan of ground turkey and neither is Hubs so we stick with the lean ground beef.

    3) Re: the question below - just like with ground turkey, it all depends on the content. You really have to check the labels. If the ground chicken contains some dark meat, it could be more fatty than a very lean ground beef. Also, low fat doesn't necessarily mean it's healthier. We do need some fat in our diets, you just have to pick the right kinds of fat and not eat too much of it.
    What about ground chicken? I don't like the taste of ground turkey but I made a chicken meatloaf that tasted pretty good.... Would that be healthier than the turkey?

    Thanks... What does Zombie thread mean?

    Probably just in reference to the OP being from 2011. Necro is better than zombie, since we brought it back to life. :)
  • likewhoa712
    likewhoa712 Posts: 95 Member
    Thanks... What does Zombie thread mean?
    [/quote]

    Probably just in reference to the OP being from 2011. Necro is better than zombie, since we brought it back to life. :)
    [/quote]

    Ohhhh lmao thanks!!
  • Jetta_C
    Jetta_C Posts: 58
    I think the micro-nutrient counts are a little different for beef and turkey as well, so maybe alternating would be good?
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