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The National Turkey Federation Offers Busy Families Nutrition Tips to Improve Dinners

Don't Sacrifice Good Nutrition When Pressed for Time

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WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2005 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Sherrie Rosenblatt, National Turkey Federation
202-898-0100 ext. 227, srosenblatt@turkeyfed.org
or Maryanne Keeney, Devine & Pearson
617-472-2700 ext. 137 mkeeney@devine-pearson.com

Families don't need to sacrifice good nutrition or delicious meals when pressed for time. The National Turkey Federation (NTF) recommends that families make small adjustments to dinners to improve their nutrition profile and to make meals last throughout the week.

"Proper nutrition is vital for everyone. Fast food may be quick, but most items contain a large amount of calories and fat that may lead to heart disease and obesity," said Christine M. Palumbo, a Chicago-based registered dietitian. "To lower your family's caloric and fat profile, serve smaller portions and choose leaner foods. For a burger, consider ground white meat turkey that is 99-percent fat free. A patty has 1.5 grams of fat and has only 98 calories. Compare that to 95-percent lean ground beef that makes a burger patty with 6 grams of fat and 146 calories."

The NTF and Palumbo recommend the following nutritious dinner tips:

• Limit Fatty Proteins. Replace high fat and high-calorie proteins like beef hamburgers with lower-fat options like ground turkey. Even a beef hot dog contains 15 grams of fat and 170 calories. Compare that to a turkey dog, which has 8 grams of fat and 102 calories.
• Make Lean Dinners in Bulk. Make extra of a nutritious dinner to ensure that family members eat properly while at school and work. Visit EatTurkey.com to find more than 700 consumer recipes that include nutritional information.
• Think Versatility. According to NTF, 36 percent of families think cooking a turkey means a whole bird. However, turkey is available in cuts like tenderloins, cutlets and ground turkey, which can be broiled, baked or grilled quickly.
• Make Recipes in a Flash. EatTurkey.com has quick, easy, nutritious and delicious recipes that parents and children can make together, such as Pizza Turkey Triangles or Easy Cheesy Turkey Enchiladas. Add mushrooms, spinach or asparagus for a balanced meal.

1. Ground beef, and hot dog nutrient data from US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory, 2004. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Release 17. Turkey nutrient data from http://eatturkey.com/consumer/nutrition/cut.html.

The National Turkey Federation (NTF) is the national advocate for all segments of the turkey industry, providing services and conducting activities that increase demand for its members' products by protecting and enhancing their ability to profitably provide wholesome, high-quality, nutritious products. Its award-winning web site, www.eatturkey.com, offers consumers, food professionals and the media an extensive library of information including healthy eating and restaurant trends, turkey cuts and purchasing tips, turkey nutrition and cooking techniques, and turkey facts and trivia. Additionally, the site presents a searchable database of more than 1,500 recipes, offers a recipe E-mail program and provides special seasonal and holiday ideas. The National Turkey Federation is headquartered in Washington, D.C.