Skinless chicken and turkey are among the very best lean proteins. If you’re doing Kimkins K/E or Boot Camp especially, it’s really important to pick lean (low fat) proteins so you’re not taking in too many calories.
Ground turkey is a popular recipe ingredient, but be careful about what you’re buying. Most commercial ground turkey also includes ground turkey skin (fat city) — some ground turkey are as high in fat as ground beef.
Take a look at these Jennie-O products and the surprising fat percentages! By the way, the “7% fat” (or whatever) on meat labels don’t mean the product is 7% fat. A little deceiving, no?
Jennie-O Ground Turkey Roll, 4 oz
calories: 220
carbs: 0 grams
protein: 20 grams
fat: 17 grams
fat percentage: 70%
Jennie-O Taco Seasoned Lean Ground Turkey
calories: 170
carbs: 2 grams (surprise!)
protein: 20 grams
fat: 9 grams
fat percentage: 48%
Jennie-O Turkey Burger, 1 each
calories: 160
carbs: 0 grams
protein: 22 grams
fat: 8 grams
fat percentage: 45%
Jennie-O 93/7 Ground Turkey, 4 oz
calories: 170
carbs: 0 grams
protein: 21 grams
fat: 8 grams
fat percentage: 42%
Jennie-O 99% Fat Free Ground Turkey, 4 oz
calories: 120
carbs: 0 grams
protein: 26 grams
fat: 1.5 grams
fat percentage: 11%
Of course the numbers above are for uncooked turkey and some fat will melt and be drained off — but not all. A large amount of fat will remain so be careful about what you’re buying.
The turkey roll is 70% fat! I think it’s making ground beef look good in comparison.
How to buy the leanest turkey: Buy a raw turkey breast or tenderloin and ask your butcher to grind it. This way you know there’s no high fat skin mixed in. But don’t be surprised if they won’t do it. Due to possible salmonella contamination with poultry products, many butchers won’t run poultry through the grinders meant for beef.
How to figure the true fat percentage: Multiply the fat grams by 9 and divide by the total calories (8×9=72/170=.42).
If you have a KitchenAid mixer you can buy a grinder attachment, and be sure to take it apart and clean it thoroughly. A few minutes in a bleach solution after cleaning is a good idea (then rinse again and let dry).
