Viva Vitality: Talking turkey before your Thanksgiving feast

By Medicine Hat News on October 11, 2019.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it might be fun to give you some interesting trivia about turkey.

Studies suggest that turkeys have lived in North America for over 10 million years. Wild turkeys were likely domesticated by Indigenous peoples in Central and South America and brought to Europe by early explorers about five centuries ago. Pilgrims then brought turkeys back to America in the 1600s. Imagine their surprise when they found the same birds running wild and free everywhere!

Over time, domestic turkeys have been bred to be larger in size, especially the breast, as everyone likes the white meat so much. Today, male turkeys or “toms” have such large chests that they cannot fertilize the eggs of the female or hen turkeys. Today, turkey eggs are fertilized artificially for the hatchery.

Turkey meat is low in fat and high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is considered a white meat as it is lower in myoglobin, a protein that gives meat its red colour. Turkey is similar in taste and nutrition to chicken. Wild turkeys, however, have a very different taste. Wild turkey meat is darker and has a more intense flavour. The flavour will also change depending on the time of year with a “gamier” taste in late summer when the bird tends to eat more insects. Birds fed grass or grain have a milder flavour.

Both fresh and frozen turkeys are used for cooking; frozen will cost less to buy. Although turkey production tends to be seasonal around Thanksgiving and Christmas, turkey meat is available year round. As leftover turkey freezes well and can be made into many hot dishes or used in sandwiches and salads, I highly recommend using this meat option throughout the year. Although it adds some salt, I like to brine my turkey before I roast it. I also add herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage to the brine to give the meat a huge flavour boost.

This recipe for Shepherd’s Pie http://bit.ly/turkeypie19 uses lean ground turkey but leftover cooked and chopped turkey can also be used. The next time you are looking for a healthy, less expensive option for your meals, consider turkey. If you have never cooked a turkey before, check out http://www.unlockfood.ca for food safety and cooking tips. Happy roasting!

Pat MacIntosh is a Registered Dietitian with Alberta Health Services, Nutrition Services. She can be reached by mail, pat.macintosh@ahs.ca.