Consumers enjoy turkey and other poultry for their health advantages relative to red meat year-round. Besides Thanksgiving, turkey is commonly used in sandwiches and soups, pasta sauces, and burgers. The cholesterol content of turkey, like chicken, depends on the "darkness" of the meat, portion size and how it is prepared. A standard serving of ground turkey is lower in total fat than extra lean ground beef, but has a similar amount of cholesterol.
Nutritional Facts
One-fourth lb. of turkey meat has, on average, 175 calories, including 5 g fat, 76 mg cholesterol, 29 g protein, 79 mg sodium and 1.8 mg iron, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The American Heart Association recommends a diet include no more than 300 mg cholesterol daily. One serving of turkey meat represents about 25 percent of this amount. You can lower the cholesterol on your Thanksgiving plate by choosing light meat and removing the skin or, if you are cooking, by following a healthful recipe.
Dark Meat vs. Light Meat
The cholesterol content of turkey varies depends on the darkness of the meat. One-fourth lb. of roasted turkey breast or white meat, with bone and skin, has 83 mg cholesterol. One-fourth lb. of roasted turkey dark meat, with bone and skin, has 93 mg cholesterol. Removing the skin on the meat reduces the cholesterol by 10 percent.
Portion Size
A standard portion size of meat is 3 oz., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid. This amount is comparable to the palm of your hand or a deck of cards, according to the American Dietetic Association. The number of servings of meat you need per day depends on your calorie needs, which varies based on age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. A 2,000-calorie diet might include two to three servings of meat each day, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid.
Preparation
Choosing skinless meat is one way to reduce cholesterol in turkey, and following a healthful recipe is another. Basting sauces can add a considerable amount of cholesterol. Regular butter has 30 mg cholesterol per tbsp., whereas vegetable oils that include olive or canola have zero cholesterol. Using olive oil in place of butter in your baste is a healthful alternative, without losing the crispiness that butter brings. Finally, many Americans enjoy using the turkey pan drippings to create a gravy for the turkey meat or potatoes. The drippings, which are traditionally made with the turkey fat drippings, can add a considerable amount of cholesterol to your meal. One tbsp. of turkey fat has 13 mg cholesterol.
LeanTurkey Products
Besides roasted turkey, consumers enjoy alternative turkey products, such as ground turkey. Ground turkey is sold by weight, and usually indicates how much fat it contains by weight on the packaging. In general, the lower the percentage fat, the lower the cholesterol. Three oz. of pan-broiled ground turkey that is 85 percent fat-free, with 15 percent fat, contains 220 calories, including 15 g fat and 90 mg cholesterol. By comparison, 3 oz. of 93 percent fat-free ground turkey contains 180 calories, including 9 g fat and 88 mg cholesterol. Three oz. of 100 percent fat-free ground turkey crumbles contains 130 calories, including 2.3 g fat and 60 mg cholesterol. The amount of cholesterol and fat in ground turkey depends on the parts of the bird used in processing.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Data Laboratory: National Nutrient Database
- ACS Publications: Cholesterol Oxides, Cholesterol, Total Lipid, and Fatty Acid Composition in Turkey Meat; S. Baggio; J. Agric. Food Chem., 2002
- ACS Publications: Moisture, total lipid, fatty acids, and cholesterol in raw ground turkey; M. Wong; J. Agric. Food Chem., 1993
