{"id":32589,"date":"2017-11-21T17:22:02","date_gmt":"2017-11-21T17:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turnaroundfitness.com\/?p=32589"},"modified":"2018-04-25T12:24:51","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T12:24:51","slug":"white-vs-dark-turkey-meat-health-fat-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turnaroundfitness.com\/white-vs-dark-turkey-meat-health-fat-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"White vs Dark Turkey Meat For Health and Fat Loss"},"content":{"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<\/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

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

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

\"fat<\/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

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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

\"fat<\/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