071204 Is White Meat Healthier Than Dark?

Have you wondered whether it makes a difference which kind of chicken or turkey meat you choose?

Health authorities have long advocated choosing white meat, saying it contains less fat and fewer calories. But the nutritional difference between the two is not so great.

In general, what makes one cut of turkey -- or any other type of poultry -- darker than another is the type of muscle it contains. Meat is darker if it contains higher levels of myoglobin, a compound that enables muscles to transport oxygen, which is needed to fuel activity. Since turkeys and chickens are flightless and walk a lot, their leg meat is dark while their wing and breast meat is white.

Many people choose white meat over dark because of its lower caloric content. But according to the Department of Agriculture, an ounce of boneless, skinless turkey breast contains about 46 calories and 1 gram of fat, compared with roughly 50 calories and 2 grams of fat for an ounce of boneless, skinless thigh.

But dark meat has its benefits. Compared with white meat, it contains more iron, zinc, riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamins B6 and B12. Both have less fat than most cuts of red meat, so you can't go wrong either way.

THE BOTTOM LINE: White meat contains less fat and fewer calories than dark meat, but the differences are small.

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