1. TURKEY: NOT JUST A HOLIDAY MEAT By: Maria Mavroulis Hlth225: Dr. Jack Osman

2. Turkey has a gobble load of history  “Prior to World War II, turkey was something of a luxury.”  After being “discovered” in America, or then the “New World”, turkeys were brought back to Europe. Though with the intensive farming of turkey in the 40s, the price was drastically per bird. Because of this price reduction, it replaced the common holiday staple, which was goose or beef.

3. Gobbling it up  Populations dropped drastically in 19th and early 20th century because of hunting and habitat loss.  Today however turkey is a common form of poultry, readily available at any grocery store.

4. TURKEY FACTS oIn 2003 the average person ate 17.4 pounds of turkey oThe heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog oA 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat oForty-five million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving oTurkeys can see in color oTurkey breeding has caused turkey breasts to grow so large that the turkeys fall over. o50% of U.S. consumers eat turkey at least once per week oFor their first meal on the moon, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate roast turkey in foil packets o2.74 billion pounds of turkey were processed in the United States in 1994 http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html

5. Turkey: From a Nutritional Perspective Dark Meat Vs. White Meat What is the difference?

6. Dark Meat  Dark meat is fattier, which translates into moister end results  Dark meat comes from areas that get lots of exercise (i.e. the turkey’s muscles)  Dark meat is tougher and needs a longer cooking time  Dark meat is more flavorful because it does contain more fat http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/print/0,14444,1007370,00.html

7. WHITE MEAT  Refers to any meat that is white in color before cooking  It is leaner than its darker counter-part  White meat, because of its nature, has less fat  Most people prefer white meat, though dark meat has the same nutrients, just more fat and flavor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_meat

8. Turkey, Lamb, or Beef?

9. Turkey please!  Turkey only has 0.6 grams of fat per serving of turkey breast.  Lamb has 5.7g and Beef has 8.5g!  Turkey only has 115 per turkey breast, while lamb, per serving, has 153 calories, and a beef tenderloin has 180!  Turkey has 67 mg of cholesterol, while lamb has 74 mg.  Beef has 70mg.  “Compared with other meats, turkey has fewer calories, less fat, less cholesterol, and very little sodium, but it is high in protein, vitamins, and minerals.” Any way you look at it, turkey is the way to go! http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=104&id=946

10. Should you eat turkey while operating heavy machinery? It has been a myth that the reason people are always so tired after a Thanksgiving feast is because there is a chemical in turkey that causes drowsiness… However, that is just that a myth.

11. Tryptophan Tryptophan is a chemical that is considered a precursor to serotonin, which contains sedative-like characteristics. But equivalent servings of chicken and ground beef contain equivalent amounts of tryptophan. Yet, we don't normally associate sleepiness with these foods. http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/feature_ent.html? DOC=enthusiasts%5Cent_tryptophan.html

12. Turkey Recipes: Turkey Burger 1 lb. ground turkey½ cup onion (chopped)1 1clove garlic (minced) 1/8 teaspoon pepper¼ cup ketchup 4 Kaiser rolls, sliced 4 slices red ripe tomato4 leaves lettuce 4 thin Slices onion 1.Preheat charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking. 2.In medium-size bowl combine turkey, onion, garlic, ketchup and pepper. Evenly divide turkey mixture into 4 burgers, approximately 3-1/2 inches in diameter. 3.Grill turkey burgers 5 to 6 minutes per side until 165 degrees F is reached on food thermometer and turkey is no longer pink in center. 4.To serve, place each turkey burger on bottom half of Kaiser roll and top with lettuce, tomato, onion and top half of roll.

13. Turkey Quesadilla 12 Ounces TURKEY BREAST OR THIGHS, skin removed and cubed 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil 8 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas 2 Cups Cheddar cheese, shredded 1 Cup green onions, chopped 1/4 Cup canned mild jalapeno chili, chopped 1 Cup salsa As needed salsa for garnish As needed lime wedges As needed sour cream, optional As needed guacamole, optional

14. Recipes Courtesy of: www.eatturkey.com