Why Turkey?

Just wondering why people tend to go for turkey mince over beef mince, a few have said that it has less fat but, at least where I live, turkey has much more fat than beef, not that I am against healthy fat, why do others use it?
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Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    I don't like ground turkey. Which people do you mean?
  • ShaniceOrrMartin
    ShaniceOrrMartin Posts: 24 Member
    Just generally people seem to prefer turkey for weight loss over beef.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,907 Member
    That 95% fat free beef mince has got to be really expensive and really flavorless.

    Same with the low-fat turkey mince. Expensive, dry and flavorless.

    Compare calories and cost in 80/20 beef to full fat turkey. That's a better comparison, taste wise and fat wise.

  • ShaniceOrrMartin
    ShaniceOrrMartin Posts: 24 Member
    Its only beef mince I've ever eaten haha I don't find its ever been dry and its only $1 more than the standard mince where I live so its really not a big deal, any other type is just really greasy to me.
    If that is they only reason why people choose one over the other then I guess theres no reason for me to switch. :smile:
  • ShaniceOrrMartin
    ShaniceOrrMartin Posts: 24 Member
    This is the lowest grade of beef I can get where I live, I was just comparing to what I would normally eat.
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  • DaintyWhisper
    DaintyWhisper Posts: 221 Member
    The one thing I notice is that the beef states that it is 95% lean whereas the turkey doesn't specify. I'm betting that the turkey is 85% lean and 15% fat at most. That would give it more calories and more fat than the leaner ground beef. It just depends on which leanness you're comparing. I think it might just be a misconception that ground turkey is "less fatty" and "healthier." Some people go by those common misconceptions and don't really ask why or bother looking at the nutrition label. Some people want to avoid red meat and eat ground turkey instead. I attached pics so you could compare the information based on the USDA website. You can also search yourself: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,593 Member
    It all depends on your goals. If you are strictly counting calories for weight loss eat what you like. If you have a medical reason to restrict foods, that may change your goals. (example: American Heart Assiciciation recommends limits in red meat)
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    Completely depends on how lean you're talking about. 93% lean ground turkey and 93% lean ground beef are both about 170 calories for 4 oz. But if you're comparing it to 80-85% ground beef, there will be a calorie/fat savings.
  • ShaniceOrrMartin
    ShaniceOrrMartin Posts: 24 Member
    edited October 2018
    The one thing I notice is that the beef states that it is 95% lean whereas the turkey doesn't specify. I'm betting that the turkey is 85% lean and 15% fat at most. That would give it more calories and more fat than the leaner ground beef. It just depends on which leanness you're comparing. I think it might just be a misconception that ground turkey is "less fatty" and "healthier." Some people go by those common misconceptions and don't really ask why or bother looking at the nutrition label. Some people want to avoid red meat and eat ground turkey instead. I attached pics so you could compare the information based on the USDA website. You can also search yourself: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    Excellent reply. By the looks of it I'm better of sticking to my 5 star beef mince as its the only red meat I eat besides the occasional kangaroo steak, no one ever talks about all the options etc when they are preaching the Turkey mince, I thought I was missing something. All down to preference in the end I suppose.
    Thanks!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    In my area ground turkey is usually cheaper than the lower fat ground beef. The fattiest ground beef is cheaper than the ground turkey. Ground turkey can also have different fat content. I might buy ground turkey for chili, sloppy joes or tacos and get beef for burgers.
    I don't buy as much beef generally as I do other things because I think cattle are worse for the environment.
    I guess my reasons don't have much to do with fat content.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    edited October 2018
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    In my area ground turkey is usually cheaper than the lower fat ground beef. The fattiest ground beef is cheaper than the ground turkey. Ground turkey can also have different fat content. I might buy ground turkey for chili, sloppy joes or tacos and get beef for burgers.

    Same here. Generally speaking, the lean ground turkey is going to be cheaper than the equivalent ground beef, unless I find it on sale, so it just comes down to what I plan on using it for. If it's something like chili where the taste/texture is going to be lost in the dish anyway, I just use turkey, but I will use a higher fat ground beef for a burger.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    I like turkey so if I catch it on sale, I will buy it ground. I mix ground turkey and 85/15 ground beef if I am making a big batch of chili because it's less greasy.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    edited October 2018
    The ground turkey i buy has way less calories than the leanest ground beef I buy. Thats why i use it in spaghetti or tacos.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    It's much, much cheaper. Like $2-3 a lb instead of $6-7 for the 93% stuff (or 95% at Wegmans if you buy 3 lbs). You can also find 99% fat free ground turkey (it's way too dry for me, but heck), and that's maybe $4 a lb too.

    Then it depends on the recipe, but for a lot of things, I like turkey better anyway... I'm trying to eat more beef because of my anemia though.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    The one thing I notice is that the beef states that it is 95% lean whereas the turkey doesn't specify. I'm betting that the turkey is 85% lean and 15% fat at most. That would give it more calories and more fat than the leaner ground beef. It just depends on which leanness you're comparing. I think it might just be a misconception that ground turkey is "less fatty" and "healthier." Some people go by those common misconceptions and don't really ask why or bother looking at the nutrition label. Some people want to avoid red meat and eat ground turkey instead. I attached pics so you could compare the information based on the USDA website. You can also search yourself: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

    Excellent reply. By the looks of it I'm better of sticking to my 5 star beef mince as its the only red meat I eat besides the occasional kangaroo steak, no one ever talks about all the options etc when they are preaching the Turkey mince, I thought I was missing something. All down to preference in the end I suppose.
    Thanks!

    Of the 3 I'd prefer the kangaroo. A bit of skippy in your diet is a treat and would be lower in fat than both turkey and beef.
  • Lifestyle0
    Lifestyle0 Posts: 17 Member
    Where I shop, in the UK, the lowest fat beef mince is 5-7% fat and turkey is 2%. Theres a reasonable cal difference so I get turkey. Same with sausages - turkey sausages actually have a nicer texture and are only about 80 cals for a normal sized sausage
  • DoubleUbea
    DoubleUbea Posts: 1,115 Member
    edited October 2018
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    I knew I should have taken one of those turkeys that were in the backyard this morning.