Easy Ground Turkey Recipes

Published:  08/17/2016

Package of ground turkey

Swapping out red meat for pountry and seafood can be a good win for your health.

The largest systematic review of the prospective evidence to date (2021), involved over 1.4 million people. See the study here: PMID: 34284672.

That research states, “red and processed meat have been consistently linked with bowel cancer and our findings suggest an additional role in heart disease. Therefore, current recommendations to limit red and processed meat consumption may also assist with the prevention of coronary heart disease”.

Overall, the evidence from the analysis indicated that:

•    Each 50 g/day higher intake of unprocessed red meat (such as beef, lamb and pork) increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 9%. 
•    Each 50 g/day higher intake of processed meat (e.g. bacon, ham, and sausages) increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 18%.
•    There was no clear link between eating poultry (such as chicken and turkey) and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

50 grams of meat is 1.76375 ounces.

The findings may be because of the high content of saturated fat in red meat, and of sodium (salt) in processed meat. High intakes of saturated fat increase levels of harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, while excess salt consumption raises blood pressure. Both LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure are well-established risk factors for coronary heart disease.

So, if you want to reduce your red meat intake, ground turkey is a wonderful substitute. 

Lean ground turkey is a super versatile protein that works well in lots of recipes. These three easy ways to swap out groound beef and create delicious ground turkey recipes that saves calories and fat. 

Ground turkey can be a great alternative to saturated fat-laden ground beef. Unless you're careful with which type of ground turkey you use though, there are not much savings over lean beef.

Thata's because some ground turkey is a mixture of dark and light. Some is ground turkey is all turkey breast, that's the leanest. Check the label for the word breast. 

Let's compare the nutrition of 30% fat, 7% fat ground beef to 15% fat ground turkey and 7% lean ground turkey breast.  

Here's the nutritional profile of 3 ounces of 30% fat ground beef:

  • Calories: 235
  • Protein: 22 g
  • Total Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6.2 g

Here's the nutritional profile of 3 ounces of 7% fat ground beef:

  • Calories: 178
  • Protein: 25 g
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 3.3

Here's the nutritional profile of 3 ounces of 15% fat ground turkey:

  • Calories: 220
  • Protein: 19 g
  • Total Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated Fat: 4 g

Here's the nutritional profile of 3 ounces of 7% fat ground turkey:

  • Calories: 181
  • Protein: 23 g
  • Total Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.5 g

You can see that using the 30% fat ground beef has the most calories, fat and heart-unhealthy saturated fat than 7% ground beef or ground turkey. And there's not much nutritional difference between the leaner ground beef and the lean turkey breast.

Ground Turkey Recipes

Turkey Meatballs

Mix One pound ground turkey, ½ cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup dried bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1 Tbsp dried parsley, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and shape into meatballs. Brown them in a nonstick skillet. When browned on all sides transfer them to a baking sheet and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Add these to marinara sauce and serve over a small amount of pasta; add to soups or use as a main dish alongside a big portion of vegetables.

Taco Salad

Brown one pound of ground turkey, chopped onions and red or orange peppers with your favorite Mexican spices or herbs like cumin, garlic, crushed red pepper, cilantro, chili powder, etc. Cool then toss with dark greens, tomato, avocado, black beans, corn and reduced fat sharp cheese. Top with some reduced fat sour cream and your favorite salsa.

Sloppy Joes

Brown a half pound ground turkey and diced onion in a large skillet. Add an 8 ounce can of diced tomatoes (undrained), 3 Tbsp uncooked oats, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer until thickened. Serve on 100% whole wheat bread, roll or in a pita pocket. Top with sliced green onions, chopped peppers or romaine lettuce.


Categories:   COOKBOOK 

Tags:   #recipes

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