Fun Facts About Turkey

By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom

Today I’d like to share some interesting facts about turkey in honor of the day most often associated with eating this bird – Thanksgiving! Here’s a list of my favorites:

• Nearly 95% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving. That translates to 45 million birds!
• Turkey has more protein, ounce per ounce, than chicken or beef.
• White meat and dark meat turkey have almost the same number of calories per serving. Dark meat has four calories more per ounce, or 24 calories in a six-ounce serving
• A 15-pound turkey has 70% white meat and 30% dark meat.
• Eating turkey does not put you to sleep. While the old wives’ tale about the sleep-promoting effects of tryptophan-containing turkey remains active, it’s not true. The metabolic explanation is that the large caloric load consumed with the Thanksgiving meal drives more energy to the digestive tract, often causing drowsiness.
• Benjamin Franklin originally proposed the turkey as the official bird of the United States, instead of the bald eagle.
  

A happy and healthy Thanksgiving to all!