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The great debate of ground turkey vs. ground beef has existed for some time now. This debate takes place mainly due to beef’s reputation of being one of the more unhealthy meats on the market, given its saturated fat content.
Turkey (specifically ground turkey), on the other hand, is said to be a healthier alternative to ground beef. But some also disagree on this point. The article below will be exploring the differences between the two types of ground meat to make it easier for you to choose the relatively healthier one out of the two options.
Ground Beef vs Ground Turkey: What The The Differences?
It seems like a simple thing but really, what you choose to consume is a very important decision which you need to make after putting in a lot of thought.
And it is especially important in the case of something as essential as what type of protein (one of the most vital nutrients for the human body) you choose to eat. The following section will be comparing ground beef and ground turkey in terms of a few different categories to show you which one comes up at the top at the end.
Calorie Count
If you are trying to pick between ground beef and ground turkey, then this is probably one of the main factors you will consider before making a decision.
As it happens, the two types of ground meats are not too unequal when it comes to how many calories they each contain. It may surprise you to know that a cooked ground turkey patty contains 176 calories, as opposed to the 162 calories of a cooked beef turkey, with both types of meat having the same lean-to-fat ratio.
Amount of Protein
Be real and admit to yourself that protein count is not usually what you are concerned with when consuming meat.
Nevertheless, it should come in handy for you to know that a ground beef patty and a ground turkey patty have an almost equal amount of protein, given that each patty has the same lean-to-fat ratio.
Flavor
You might assume that being white meat, ground turkey would be less flavorful than its red meat counterpart, ground beef.
However, meat is not something we eat without at least seasoning it with some salt. Most people also like to customize a blend of spices and condiments to make any meat more flavorful.
Therefore, the flavor does not come from the meat itself but depends on how you season it. Anything you add to either ground turkey or ground beef, the meat will absorb, making it more flavorful.
Saturated Fats
This is an element that most people are concerned about when it comes to choosing which meat to consume. While ground turkey will definitely have you consuming less saturated fats than ground beef, there are ways in which you can reduce the fat content of any meat.
To start out, choose a low fat cut of the meat. If you are buying beef, buy a cut that has very little marbling. Additionally, you can give the meat a wash in hot water after it has cooked, or you can remove the grease from the pot or pan that the meat has been cooked and served in.
You can also blot the meat with a paper kitchen towel after it has been cooked, in order to get rid of excess fats.
Micro and Macro Nutrients
Whether it is Vitamin C, Zinc, or Iron, both ground beef and ground turkey contain almost equal amounts of these and many other micronutrients and macronutrients (given that both types of meat have the same proportions of fat to leanness).
Sodium Content
A 93 percent lean portion of ground turkey has 6 milligrams less sodium than an equal portion of ground beef, wherein the recommended daily consumption amount of sodium is less than 2000 milligrams for adults.
It is common knowledge that high consumption of sodium can lead to diseases such as stomach cancer.
If you factor in the amount of sodium you will be adding to your meat by seasoning it with salt, ground turkey definitely comes out looking like the healthier choice.
Choosing Between Ground Turkey and Ground Beef
What type of food you consume is up to you. However, if you have options between similar foods, you should always choose the healthier ones.
Ground turkey does have a lower content of saturated fats and sodium, both elements which can severely harm your overall health and shorten your lifespan if consumed in huge amounts.
The difference in the amount of these harmful elements between the two types of ground meats is not much at first glance. Hope our comparission on ground turkey vs. ground beef will help you to understand which one you need to select.
However, they will definitely add up to either benefit or harm you in the long run, depending on whether you choose ground turkey or ground beef.
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