Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating recommends selecting leaner meats, poultry, fish and seafood. Delicious turkey is an excellent selection to help you meet the standards established to improve the wellbeing of Canadians.

Turkey is a leader in the ’lean’ meat class. Luckily turkey adapts to all meal plans, and with the variety of fresh cuts available today, we can easily incorporate turkey into our daily menus; turkey sausage, turkey burgers, turkey steaks, kabobs or cutlets, turkey chilli and turkey stew are just a few of the choices we have.

Turkey is an excellent source of protein, providing the essential amino acids necessary for the renewal and maintenance of body tissues. Turkey has fewer calories, contains less fat and cholesterol. The small amount of fat in turkey is mainly unsaturated.

A 3½ oz (100g) serving of this delicious, versatile protein contains 26 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and 0 grams of saturated fat. That’s 8% more protein than the same size serving of boneless skinless chicken breast or trimmed top loin beefsteak.

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

• Turkey is an excellent source of B vitamins like niacin, a factor in the maintenance of good health and the conversion of carbohydrates into energy, nerve function and digestion
• Turkey is a good source of phosphorous, a factor in the normal development of bones and teeth
• Turkey is rich in B12, needed for red cell manufacture, preventing anemia
• Dark meat is a good source of zinc – needed for a healthy immune system and for healing cuts and grazes
• Turkey also contains potassium, magnesium and in the dark meat, significant amounts of iron

Nutrition Facts

SOURCE: Nutrient Analysis Study, 2003 - Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc.
Nutrient Analysis - Skinless, Boneless, Cooked (Roasted) Turkey