I thought that ground turkey was supposed to be low in fat, and the brand that I was buying even says that it only contains 7% fat. Then today I looked more carefully at the label and it said 8 grams of fat for 4 oz. Could that be right?? :evil: Andrea

That sounds right to me- at least comparted to the type I get. I think it is low compared to ground chuck (might not be low compared to ground sirloin). Some of the other benefits though are that is turkey and not red meat. Red meat has the AA concerns and may have more saturated fat (not really sure on that though). Plus- some of the fat get cooked out. I'd still prefer the ground Turkey over the red meat- even if the fats were similiar.

[quote:2f21efb6bc="stonehousemc"]That sounds right to me- at least comparted to the type I get. I think it is low compared to ground chuck (might not be low compared to ground sirloin). Some of the other benefits though are that is turkey and not red meat. Red meat has the AA concerns and may have more saturated fat (not really sure on that though). Plus- some of the fat get cooked out. I'd still prefer the ground Turkey over the red meat- even if the fats were similiar.[/quote:2f21efb6bc] I was under the impression that proteins noted as low-fat in Dr. Sears' books or on this web site were really low in fat, but when I look through the recipes in [i:2f21efb6bc]A Week in the Zone[/i:2f21efb6bc], I see that recipes with 4.5 oz. of lean turkey or beef also include about 1 tsp. of olive oil (or a similar favorable fat), which is equivalent to about 4.5 grams of fat. If that 4.5 grams is added to the 8 grams of fat from the supposedly low-fat protein, we're eating about 12.5 grams of fat for a 3-block meal instead of the 9 grams we're supposed to. A small amount might be drained off after cooking, but this is negligible. I don't understand these calculations. Andrea

. If that 4.5 grams is added to the 8 grams of fat from the supposedly low-fat protein, we're eating about 12.5 grams of fat for a 3-block meal instead of the 9 grams we're supposed to. . Andrea[/quote] I'm no expert but arent you talking about the two different kinds of fat here? The fat in the meat is "bad" fat and the oil is "good" fat. As I understand it you need to have the "good" fat even if you have (a little) "bad" fat. Top

[quote:6ea500acb1="TopBoffin"]I'm no expert but arent you talking about the two different kinds of fat here? The fat in the meat is "bad" fat and the oil is "good" fat. As I understand it you need to have the "good" fat even if you have (a little) "bad" fat. Top[/quote:6ea500acb1] I guess I need some guidance here. My understanding is that yes, the "good" fat is preferable but that we expect there will be some of the "bad" fat in low-fat meats or dairy. I don't think we're still supposed to go ahead and eat 3 blocks more (for a 3-block meal) of the "good" fat. My understanding is that it's supposed to be 3 blocks in all, more-or-less. Andrea

Hi Andrea, [quote:558712488c="andreawk"][quote:558712488c="TopBoffin"]I'm no expert but arent you talking about the two different kinds of fat here? The fat in the meat is "bad" fat and the oil is "good" fat. As I understand it you need to have the "good" fat even if you have (a little) "bad" fat. Top[/quote:558712488c] I guess I need some guidance here. My understanding is that yes, the "good" fat is preferable but that we expect there will be some of the "bad" fat in low-fat meats or dairy. I don't think we're still supposed to go ahead and eat 3 blocks more (for a 3-block meal) of the "good" fat. My understanding is that it's supposed to be 3 blocks in all, more-or-less. Andrea[/quote:558712488c] Certainly it is supposed to be 3 blocks all in. that is why we should select favourable protein . The good fat is essential for health. We really must make selections that keep within the total amount of fat AND we need to ensure at least 1/2 the total fat is the good fat. White Light

[quote:6f656ec93a="White Light"]Certainly it is supposed to be 3 blocks all in. that is why we should select favourable protein . The good fat is essential for health. We really must make selections that keep within the total amount of fat AND we need to ensure at least 1/2 the total fat is the good fat. White Light[/quote:6f656ec93a] I agree about the total of 3 blocks, but how are we supposed to ensure that at least 1/2 is the good fat when even the low-fat choices on Dr. Sears' list (e.g., ground low-fat turkey) contain 8 grams of fat for 4 oz. of meat (21 grams of protein)? Andrea

[quote:c41f043c17="andreawk"][quote:c41f043c17="White Light"]Certainly it is supposed to be 3 blocks all in. that is why we should select favourable protein . The good fat is essential for health. We really must make selections that keep within the total amount of fat AND we need to ensure at least 1/2 the total fat is the good fat. White Light[/quote:c41f043c17] I agree about the total of 3 blocks, but how are we supposed to ensure that at least 1/2 is the good fat when even the low-fat choices on Dr. Sears' list (e.g., ground low-fat turkey) contain 8 grams of fat for 4 oz. of meat (21 grams of protein)? Andrea[/quote:c41f043c17] Hi, Remember that the Zone is a range. [b:c41f043c17]You don't have to be exactly precise.[/b:c41f043c17] If you are a little over on the fat (within reason, not twice or three times the recommended fat) it will enhance your ability to lower insulin (see FAQS on this site regardign fat). Not every low fat protein source, even those on the Zone favorable list, have exactly 1.5 g fat per ounce of protein , nor do they have exactly the same fat composition. Free range and game meats are lower in saturated fats and polyunsaturated fat ( both which you are what your're calling BAD fats) and higher in monounsaturated fat (which you are referring to as GOOD fat) than their conventionally raised counterparts. Ground meats will usually be a little higher in fat, with the exception of ostrich. BTW, Barry Sears has written that ostrich (available in some grocery stores and health food stores) is an excellent Zone low fat protein source, is high in monounsaturated fat, and is even more favorable than boneless skinless chicken breast. The Zone favorable foods list is made up of foods which are commonly eaten by Americans and are not the only Zone favorable foods that exist. Hope this helps clarify things for you. Sue

Hi Andrea, [quote:aa5ced4bc2="andreawk"][quote:aa5ced4bc2="White Light"]Certainly it is supposed to be 3 blocks all in. that is why we should select favourable protein . The good fat is essential for health. We really must make selections that keep within the total amount of fat AND we need to ensure at least 1/2 the total fat is the good fat. White Light[/quote:aa5ced4bc2] I agree about the total of 3 blocks, but how are we supposed to ensure that at least 1/2 is the good fat when even the low-fat choices on Dr. Sears' list (e.g., ground low-fat turkey) contain 8 grams of fat for 4 oz. of meat (21 grams of protein)? Andrea[/quote:aa5ced4bc2] While I can agree with Sue that we do not have to precisely count everything, Rest assured you body does. You do not need to have ALL your protein from this ground low fat turkey in this one meal. Were you to have say 2oz and get your remaining protein from say egg whites (or any other zero fat protein) You could still get your 50% "good" fat from totally favourable sources. To the vast majority just assumeing a favourable protein has 1.5g fat per protein block, is certainly good enough. The occasional meal with surplus hidden fat will not cause problems. However for any that are not getting results and wondering why. This area is one of the first too look at (IMHO) White Light

[quote:e217379a46="White Light"]You do not need to have ALL your protein from this ground low fat turkey in this one meal. Were you to have say 2oz and get your remaining protein from say egg whites (or any other zero fat protein) You could still get your 50% "good" fat from totally favourable sources.[/quote:e217379a46] Easier said than done for some of us. I'm allergic to soy, eggs, and dairy products. That limits my protein sources a lot. For a while I was ok with eating chicken breast, but I eventually needed more variety, and the ground turkey and occasionally ground beef works well. I realize it's not ideal, but with 8 grams coming from 3 blocks worth of protein, and 3 more grams coming from my PGFO, I'm probably at my limit. I sometimes add a few nuts and sometimes not. It still seems to be keeping me in the zone. Andrea

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[quote="andreawk"][quote:629295b380="White Light"]You do not need to have ALL your protein from this ground low fat turkey in this one meal. Were you to have say 2oz and get your remaining protein from say egg whites (or any other zero fat protein) You could still get your 50% "good" fat from totally favourable sources.[/quote:629295b380] [quote:629295b380]but I eventually needed more variety, and the ground turkey and occasionally ground beef works well. I realize it's not ideal, but with 8 grams coming from 3 blocks worth of protein, and 3 more grams coming from my PGFO, I'm probably at my limit. I sometimes add a few nuts and sometimes not. It still seems to be keeping me in the zone.[/quote:629295b380] If the protein choice is higher in fat than less additional fat blocks are needed. Try to get 9g for a 3-block meal. If you don't know the amount of fat in your protein source (assuming it's not swimming in noticeable fat), better to add the 4.5g of fat blocks than go without. According to the U.S. nutrient database, 4oz of ground turkey is 40% monounsaturated.

[quote:c6bdc4ab11="Scott"]If the protein choice is higher in fat than less additional fat blocks are needed. Try to get 9g for a 3-block meal. If you don't know the amount of fat in your protein source (assuming it's not swimming in noticeable fat), better to add the 4.5g of fat blocks than go without. According to the U.S. nutrient database, 4oz of ground turkey is 40% monounsaturated.[/quote:c6bdc4ab11] I feel as if I'm going around in circles in this thread! I know that I need 9 grams of fat. :) The point I was making was that there are already 8 grams in the 4 oz. of ground turkey, and I get another 3 grams of fat from my PGFO with the meal (9 capsules a day right now, and I may increase it soon). So without eating any additional monosaturated fat, I'm already over the 9 grams. Thanks for letting me know that a lot of the 8 grams in the meat are monosaturated because I was assuming they were not. I just checked the package label and sure enough, only 2 of the 8 grams are saturated fat. That's good news. :D Andrea

[quote:b0c0a373da="andreawk"] I feel as if I'm going around in circles in this thread! I know that I need 9 grams of fat. :) The point I was making was that there are already 8 grams in the 4 oz. of ground turkey, and I get another 3 grams of fat from my PGFO with the meal (9 capsules a day right now, and I may increase it soon). So without eating any additional monosaturated fat, I'm already over the 9 grams. Thanks for letting me know that a lot of the 8 grams in the meat are monosaturated because I was assuming they were not. I just checked the package label and sure enough, only 2 of the 8 grams are saturated fat. That's good news. :D Andrea[/quote:b0c0a373da] Sorry for the confusion. :oops: I'll sometimes repeat information because it benefits any newcomers reading these threads. Rest assured that with ground turkey and fish oil you are getting at least half your fat from favorable sources.

Just for information's sake: I just found ground turkey at Trader Joes that has much lower fat. I can't remeber exatly what it was- but I beleive it was more on the order of 1.5 g of fat per 7 gram of protein (1 block)- so similiar to skinless chicken breast. It was made from white meat- so it does exist. If you can find that somewhere- then you'd be ok.