How many times have you heard that you should go for the white meat instead of the dark meat for health and fat loss? This nutrition myth needs to be BUSTED<\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s the holiday season or you\u2019re just looking to drop a few pounds, how many times have you heard that you should go for the white meat instead of the dark meat for health and fat loss?<\/p>\n

By and large, when it comes to turkey (and chicken), you\u2019ve likely been conditioned to believe that white (breast) meat is \u201cbetter\u201d and \u201chealthier\u201d than dark (thigh and leg) meat\u2026but is that actually true?<\/p>\n

For this white meat vs. dark meat turkey faceoff, let\u2019s take out the figurative carving knife.<\/p>\n

Is there any truth to the common notion that white meat is nutritionally superior to dark meat?<\/p>\n

Or, is it just another nutrition myth that needs to be busted?<\/p>\n

\n

Written by Tim Skwiat<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What Makes Dark Meat Dark?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/a>To start, let\u2019s peel back the skin, so to speak, and dig into what makes dark meat dark and white meat white.<\/p>\n

Speaking of skin, in this white meat vs. dark meat turkey faceoff, we\u2019ll specifically be referring to skinless meat.<\/p>\n

Why?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no nutritional difference between the skin found on white meat vs. dark meat.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re interested, the skin is a dense source of calories (390 calories per 3-ounce serving) and fat (76% of calories), and it does provide some protein (20 grams per 3-ounce serving) and micronutrients (e.g., B12).<\/p>\n

So, what gives meat its color?<\/p>\n\r\n

\r\n

<\/p>\n

EDITORS NOTE:<\/strong> Knowing what and how much to eat for weight loss is critical towards your success.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not sure how to calculate your calories in order to burn fat, Get Your Free Fat Burning Calorie Calculator For Quick Weight Loss & Burn More Fat Than You Thought Possible In 30 Days=> Fat Burning Calculator<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

It comes down to a protein called myoglobin. Let\u2019s take a step back for a moment.<\/p>\n

Both dark and white meat is largely made up of the muscles.<\/p>\n

Myoglobin is a protein that stores oxygen, which is necessary to fuel activity. The darker the meat, the greater the concentration of myoglobin.<\/p>\n

Think about it for a second\u2026when talking turkey (and chicken), you\u2019ll find the dark meat in the legs and thighs.<\/p>\n

Considering that these flightless birds spend the majority of their time walking, it makes sense that they store more myoglobin in the very muscles that power them around, right?<\/p>\n

Facts Are Facts: White Meat vs. Dark Meat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Okay, so with that little poultry science lesson under your belt, let\u2019s let the facts speak for themselves\u2014the nutrition facts, that is.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a side-by-side comparison of the nutrition facts of a standard 3-ounce serving of roasted, skinless white meat vs. dark meat.<\/p>\n

My guess is that your eyes may be drawn to the top to nutritional characteristics:<\/p>\n

Calories and fat. And if so, you may have noticed that a serving of white meat contains 15% fewer calories and 65% less fat.<\/p>\n

In the case of the former, the difference in calories is not nearly as substantial as you might think; in fact, I\u2019d go so far as to say that it\u2019s negligible.<\/p>\n

And in terms of the fat content, while the difference is statistically significant, as we\u2019ve talked about previously, low fat is not necessarily better.<\/p>\n

In fact, the long-standing low-fat ideology seems to have played a significant role in the obesity epidemic.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, by no means do I think it\u2019s necessary to choose white meat over dark meat simply based on the slightly higher amounts of calories and fat in the latter.<\/p>\n

By the way, a 3-ounce serving of dark meat turkey contains less fat than a similar-size serving of lean beef.<\/p>\n

And for what it\u2019s worth, a 3-ounce serving of dark meat would provide only about 7.5% of the total daily value for fat intake on a so-called \u201clow-fat, heart-healthy\u201d diet.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, both white and dark meat turkey are excellent sources of protein, with both providing a similar amount.<\/p>\n

However, there are some nutritional differences that are worth pointing out. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n

\n
• Dark meat<\/strong> contains over twice as much iron<\/strong> (which is an essential component of myoglobin), and with 1.22 mg per serving, you\u2019ll hit 15% of your daily requirement if you\u2019re a man or postmenopausal woman. [Note that premenopausal women typically need more, about 18 mg per day, to compensate for menstrual losses.] This probably has the greatest implications for women, athletes (especially younger females), and teens.<\/li>\n
• Dark meat<\/strong> packs over twice as much zinc<\/strong>, and with 2.98 mg per serving, dark meat provides 37% of a woman\u2019s daily requirements and 27% of a man\u2019s daily needs. Zinc is an essential mineral that\u2019s involved in hundreds of metabolic reactions in the body.<\/li>\n
• White meat<\/strong> contains 75% more niacin<\/strong> than dark meat, and with 10 mg per serving, white meat provides 56% of the recommended daily amount.<\/li>\n
• White meat<\/strong> contains 75% more B6<\/strong>, and with 0.7 mg per serving, you\u2019ll hit over half (54%) of your daily recommended target.<\/li>\n
• White meat<\/strong> contains more than twice as much B12, and with 0.3 \u00b5g per serving, white meat provides 12.5% of the recommended daily amount.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  \n

  The Verdict Is in\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n

  <\/a><\/p>\n

  When it comes to the battle of white meat vs. dark meat turkey, white meat isn\u2019t the clear-cut \u201cwinner\u201d we\u2019ve been led to believe.<\/p>\n

  This is especially true given the minor differences in total calories and the inconsequential difference in fat content.<\/p>\n

  Having said that, white and dark meat each have unique micronutrient advantages that may be particularly relevant to certain populations.<\/p>\n

  For instance, if you\u2019re an athlete\u2014particularly a young female athlete\u2014the iron and zinc content of dark meat might make it a particularly valuable component of your nutrition plan.<\/p>\n

  On the other hand, if you don\u2019t eat many animal-based products, then the B vitamin content of white meat may make it a better choice.<\/p>\n

  Personal preference also plays a significant role. In other words, if you prefer the taste of dark meat, go for it! If white meat floats your boat, don\u2019t let me stop you.<\/p>\n

  Lastly, considering the complementary micronutrient profiles, the \u201cbest\u201d strategy might be to eat.<\/p>\n

  BOTH<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

  Now that you know the truth about white vs dark meat, there’s another kind of food that has mislead, and lied to you by the food industry, the government, and your doctor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

  I’ll be the first to admit I was extremely skeptical when I first learned of this new breakthrough research.<\/p>\n

  => 4 BLATANT Lies The Food and Medical Industry Use to KEEP You Fat and Sick<\/a><\/p>\n

  <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  How many times have you heard that you should go for the white meat instead of the dark meat for health and fat loss? This nutrition myth needs to be BUSTED Whether it\u2019s the holiday season or you\u2019re just looking to drop a few pounds, how many times have you heard that you should go […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[621,622,446,246,251,41,619,68,633,636,635,256,203,617,618,157,289,624,156,648,627,180,459],"class_list":["post-32589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-aggressive-dieting","tag-aggressive-fat-loss","tag-athlean-x","tag-belly-fat","tag-best-way-to-lose-belly-fat","tag-fat-loss","tag-fat-loss-expert","tag-fitness","tag-flat-belly","tag-how-to-get-a-flat-stomach","tag-how-to-get-a-flatter-belly","tag-how-to-get-flat-abs","tag-how-to-lose-belly-fat","tag-how-to-lose-body-fat","tag-how-to-lose-body-fat-fast","tag-how-to-lose-fat","tag-how-to-lose-weight","tag-how-to-lose-weight-faster","tag-lose-fat","tag-lose-weight","tag-losing-body-fat","tag-six-pack-abs","tag-weight-loss"],"yoast_head":"\n