Is Ground Turkey Healthier than Ground Chicken?

Chicken and turkey – which is healthier? That’s the subject of this article and we’re talking about the birds when the meat has been ground. This is the best way to buy turkey or chicken if you want to make burgers or pies, for example, or to use in a quick curry or stir fry. So, which one is healthier?

You may think that as both are poultry, they will be very similar in terms of fat, calories, protein and other areas important to health. However, there are in fact some rather surprising major differences. That’s what we’re going to look at right now, so let’s get on with things.

Which is Healthier?

If you want to have a closer look you can see the comparison in the article at that link. However, we thought we’d pick a few areas to look at and see if we can give you some advice on chicken and turkey. We have looked at the nutritional benefits in terms of fat, protein, calories and the minerals in the meat, as follows:

Fat Content – white meats, of which chicken and turkey are two, are great for low-fat diets, but which one would be best? In fact, ground turkey is leaner than chicken. What’s the difference? There is more dark meat on a chicken than a turkey and this is the fattiest part of the bird. However, the difference with ground turkey compared to chicken is just 0.5g fat per 85g serving, so we wouldn’t get too worried about it.

Protein – all different types of meat have different levels of protein and chicken and turkey are no different. It is important to know that in this area, turkey is by far the better choice if protein intake is a basis of your diet. In an average serving, ground turkey provides 28g of protein compared to a mere 3g with an equivalent serving of chicken, quite a substantial different however you look at it.

Calories – in terms of calories both chicken and turkey rank very low, so are great for fat loss diets. This is usually the case for all white meat, and these two being the most popular poultry products are usually quoted more often. In fact, turkey is again the winner here with the lowest calories per portion, but there is all but nothing in it so you can consider either as part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Minerals – there are many natural minerals that are important to our health, some of which are found in chicken and turkey. Selenium and copper, for example, are essential to our immune system. When compared, turkey comes out as having more of these than chicken. However, of you are looking for a boost of niacin – which is known to help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia and is good brain food – you will find greater concentrations in chicken that in turkey.

Can we conclude whether turkey or chicken is healthier than the other? Let’s wrap things up.

Conclusion

There are so many healthy chicken and turkey recipes around that you can use these ground meats for any diet to make delicious and healthy meals. Having looked at the numbers involved in detail we believe it is not possible to determine whether turkey or chicken is notably healthier than the other.

This is simply because the numbers – apart from the large difference where protein is concerned – are negligible, making either of the two meats equally healthy when all elements are taken together. So, enjoy your chicken and turkey as part of a healthy and delicious diet, and we hope we’ve helped you!