Americans gobble up more than 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving, according to some estimates. But experts say that this love for the bird shouldn’t end when the holiday is over. Eating turkey regularly — whether it’s sliced in a deli sandwich or ground up in chili — can boost your health in more ways than one.
Here’s what makes turkey particularly good for you, plus ideas from New York Times Cooking for how to enjoy it all year long.
It’s high in protein.
Three ounces of skinless breast meat contains about 26 grams of protein. That’s nearly half of the recommended amount a 160-pound adult should eat in a day.
Protein is the body’s main building block, said Sander Kersten, the director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. As your body forms and repairs its cells, you’re constantly losing protein that needs replenishing with food.
People often associate protein with muscle mass, said Teresa Fung, a professor of nutrition at Simmons University and an adjunct nutrition professor at Harvard University. While it’s true that protein builds muscle, that’s only one of its roles.
Your immune system’s antibodies, which protect against harmful bacteria and viruses, are made of proteins, Dr. Fung said. So are the enzymes we use in digestion, along with the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Plus, “the heart is basically a bag of proteins we use to pump blood,” she said.
Protein also helps you feel full after a meal, said Joan Salge Blake, a clinical professor of nutrition at Boston University.
It’s low in saturated fats.
Dietitians consider turkey to be a lean source of protein. Three ounces of skinless white turkey breast has just half a gram of cholesterol-raising saturated fats.
Even when you opt for dark meat (the fattier part of the bird) with the skin left on, you’re still only eating 2.5 grams of saturated fats. Dietary guidelines suggest eating fewer than 20 grams each day.
This gives turkey a nutritional leg up over other animal proteins like beef and lamb, said Luis Rustveld, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine. A three-ounce ground beef patty, for example, has about 7.5 grams.
Excessive consumption of saturated fats can raise your LDL cholesterol, which can increase your risk for heart attack or stroke.
Its vitamin B12 supports your nerves and blood cells.
The bird’s dark meat is high in vitamin B12, which is only found naturally in animal products. Vitamin B12 helps your body generate nerve cells, which in turn keeps your brain and memory sharp, Dr. Fung said.
You also need vitamin B12 to produce red blood cells, Dr. Kersten said.
Three ounces of dark meat with the skin on contains about 1.4 micrograms of vitamin B12, which is more than half of what most adults need daily. But white, skinless meat contains less: not even half of a microgram.
It won’t make you drowsy.
Turkey famously contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps your body produce serotonin and melatonin, which regulate sleep-wake cycles. But the experts said there’s no evidence that turkey makes you sleepy.
The amount of tryptophan in turkey is too low to affect alertness, Dr. Rustveld said.
“This is a fairy tale people came up with to explain why they’re sleepy after eating turkey,” Dr. Kersten added. The more likely explanation is that people eat turkey as part of a large, heavy meal — often with alcohol — which can make them feel lethargic, he said
“You’re tired because you waited all year for a holiday, and then you sit on the couch and watch football,” Ms. Salge Blake said. “It’s not the tryptophan.”
What Else to Know
If you eat deli turkey (either pre-sliced and packaged, or sliced at the counter), there are some health considerations to keep in mind. If the label contains ingredients you wouldn’t normally find in your kitchen, like modified cornstarch, carrageenan or caramel color, that usually means it’s an ultraprocessed food, said Kenny Mendoza, a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Eating processed meats regularly can raise your risk of colorectal cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Sliced deli meats, including turkey, are also often high in sodium. To limit your sodium intake, Dr. Rustveld recommended choosing an oven-roasted variety over one that is cured or smoked.
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey will stay fresh in the refrigerator for three or four days. Frozen cooked turkey keeps well for up to six months. Here are some recipes from NYT Cooking to get you through this week and beyond.
1. Buttermilk-Brined Roast Turkey
Salt seasons the turkey through and through, while buttermilk keeps the meat moist and helps the skin brown. This recipe calls for spatchcocking the turkey, but the brine works equally well on a whole bird.
Recipe: Buttermilk-Brined Roast Turkey
2. Stir-Fried Turkey and Brussels Sprouts
You can use up your leftover turkey and brussels sprouts (or green beans) in this quick stir-fry. The ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes transform the Thanksgiving ingredients.
Recipe: Stir-Fried Turkey and Brussels Sprouts
3. Turkey Pho
The broth for this take on the Vietnamese chicken and rice noodle soup gets its depth from charred onion and ginger. If you have any bones from your roasted turkey, throw them in to enrich the soup even more.
Recipe: Turkey Pho
4. Italian Wedding Soup With Turkey Meatballs
Ground turkey meatballs swim in chicken broth alongside pasta, a generous dose of leafy greens and fresh dill.
Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup With Turkey Meatballs
5. Ground Turkey, Shiitake and Cashew Lettuce Cups
It takes less than 10 minutes to cook this blend of ground turkey, celery, mushrooms and cashews. Tucking steamed rice into the lettuce wraps makes this hand-held dinner even more filling.
Recipe: Ground Turkey, Shiitake and Cashew Lettuce Cups
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