More Turkey Anyone?
The countdown is on, with only 5 days until Christmas 2017 and no doubt some of you will be good to go, others nearly ready and the rest in a mad panic getting all the last minute preparations complete.
For meat eaters Christmas is a time where we tend to get involved with a bit of turkey! As well as it being a very tasty meat option, Turkey carries many nutritional benefits. So here’s some good reasons why you should get your fair share of turkey this Christmas.
– PROTEIN! Yes people who know me realise how much of a protein fiend I am. A quick reminder that protein is essential for our body’s muscle growth and recovery.
The British Nutrition Foundation recommends that “The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) is set at 0.75g of protein per kilogram bodyweight per day for adults”. According to myfitnesspal (who get their facts from britishturkey.co.uk) 100grams of roasted turkey breast (a typical serving) will give you 34g of protein.
– Low Calorie food!
Turkey is very lean meat which is great if you’re currently on a calorie deficit based eating regime. Referring back to myfitnesspal there is roughly 153 calories per 100 gram serving of turkey. This will also allow you to sensibly combine a good portion of turkey to go alongside the Christmas dinner trimmings without the calorie content getting too out of control (wishful thinking).
– Minerals and Vitamins! Megan Ware RDN LD lists that “Turkey contains vitamins B-6 and B-12, niacin, choline, selenium and zinc. The dark meat of turkey tends to contain more vitamins and minerals, but also has more fat and calories.”
Vitamin B6 helps the body to activate energy from carbohydrates and proteins in food. It also benefits the formation of haemoglobin (what is found in red blood cells that distributes oxygen through the body).
Vitamin B12 is used in the body to help make red blood cells and maintain your nervous system.
Niacin (known as Vitamin B3) also brings benefits similar to that of above.
Selenium is known to help benefit our body’s immune system whilst Zinc is known to aid new cell formation and healing.
Sources:
Myfitnespal
http://www.britishturkey.co.uk
Megan Ware RDN LD –
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