With Thanksgiving looming close it’s only natural that we shine a spotlight on turkey. Millions of American families will be roasting deep-frying or preparing their bird in some other way and in the days after the big day there’ll be turkey sandwiches turkey hash turkey casserole turkey stock and finally when everybody is all turkey’ed out there’s the turkey carcass. Some people prefer white meat and others go for the dark. Some people avoid the skin while others swear this is the best part. Whatever your preference turkey serves up lots of gobble-gobble good.

Turkey is rich in B vitamins and is a good source of phosphorus copper selenium zinc and iron. The latter two can be difficult to get in diets free of red meat so those who avoid red meat may find turkey a more appealing alternative. As is true for all animals raised for food the diet a turkey is fed may affect the composition of its fat but generally speaking turkey fat is predominantly monounsaturated with saturated fat coming in second and polyunsaturated at a very close third. It has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of almost 10:1 which is fairly high but considering that a generous 5-ounce serving of chopped/diced dark meat with skin has only 4.3 grams of total polyunsaturated fat this really isn’t cause for concern especially compared to corn or soybean oils which present far more omega-6.  

For those who are especially concerned about cutting back on dietary fat ground turkey makes a nice change from ground beef and if it’s drained after cooking much of the fat will disappear. Ground turkey can be used in burgers meatloaf chili lasagna and just about anything else that normally calls for ground beef. Nitrate-free cold cut-style turkey is another option for people looking for lean protein. 

Contrary to popular myth turkey isn’t all that high in tryptophan. In fact except for cysteine tryptophan is the lowest amino acid in turkey so it’s pretty silly to blame the post-Thanksgiving feast stupor on the tryptophan. (Funny how no one ever seems to claim lethargy after a turkey sandwich during the workday.) Perhaps it’s more likely that ending up semi-comatose after Thanksgiving dinner has more to do with the sheer amount of food most of us consume and the body shunting energy toward the digestive tract and away from the brain. Maybe it’s not the turkey but the rolls the stuffing the candied yams cranberry sauce pumpkin pie and the alcohol that has us heading toward the nearest couch or comfy chair that isn’t already occupied by a similarly fatigued family member. 

And what about the turkey carcass? There are approximately a million possibilities for the leftover meat and the carcass is another gift that keeps on giving. Chicken stock is good for what ails you but with their larger sizes turkey carcasses make excellent stock. The bones and other gnarly leftover bits will release a lot of gelatin leaving you with a nourishing stock that can be made into soup sauce or gravy or drunk on its own in a mug on a cold winter night.

Wondering about ways to prepare turkey and what’s left over? Here are several tips to “cure leftover turkey boredom” such as stir-fries soups hashes and aromatic curries. Or consider a unique frittata with caramelized onion turkey sage mushrooms and spinach. Definitely not the same ol’ boring turkey sandwich. You can swap ground turkey for ground beef in turkey tacos or even use ground turkey to make a pizza crust for “meatza” topped with your favorites. As for preparing the turkey for the big day consider a classic roasted turkey with sage butter or a wild mushroom butter roasted turkey for something a little more earthy. 

For more Thanksgiving ideas check out this recipe roundup featuring delectable and Paleo-friendly appetizers turkey side dishes and desserts. But don’t hoard these only for Thanksgiving; they’re delicious and can be enjoyed any time of year!