Poultry: a powerful source of nutrients

Poultry has been a family favourite for centuries—not only for its great flavour, but also for its versatility.  Jam packed with healthy nutrients, poultry is a lean protein everyone should be eating more of. Here's why.

• A lean source of high-quality protein, chicken, duck and turkey are loaded with essential amino acids, B vitamins and minerals.
• These nutrients help to ensure healthy skin, immunity and proper brain and digestive function.

Iron: Duck and dark-meat turkey are excellent sources of this blood-nourishing mineral, present in its most absorbable ("heme") form.

Lysine: An essential amino acid, lysine may help to prevent and manage cold sores.

Niacin: An 85 gram (three ounce) serving of cooked, skinless chicken breast supply nearly 12 milligrams of niacin—over half the day's requirement. Duck and turkey are also excellent sources of this vitamin, which ensures healthy digestive tracts and nervous systems.

Selenium: Plentiful in poultry, selenium may help to protect against Cancer, cataracts, heart disease and macular degeneration. Dark-meat turkey is particularly high in this mineral: 85 grams (three ounces) of cooked turkey have 35 micrograms of selenium.

Tryptophan: A precursor to niacin, this essential amino acid may help ease anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Vitamin B6: Though all poultry has ample B6, light-meat chicken and turkey are the best sources: an 85 gram (three ounce) servings of cooked meat provides 0.5 micrograms. This vitamin may ease allergies, asthma and depression and help prevent heart disease.

Vitamin B12: Available only in animal foods, this vitamin may be beneficial for anemia, cardiovascular health, depression and help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

Zinc: Essential for immune cell development, this mineral may also improve fertility and skin health, and help to alleviate premenstrual syndrome. Turkey, duck and dark-meat chicken provide generous amounts of zinc: an 85 gram (three ounce) serving of any of these provide over two micrograms of zinc.

• Dark-meat poultry is the best choice for flavour, as well as certain nutrients such as iron and selenium. But the dark meat is also higher in fat—three to five times—depending on the bird.
• In addition to fat found in poultry meat, there is also a substantial amount in the skin (about half the total fat is in the skin). It's alright to roast, broil or grill poultry with the skin on to preserve moisture, but the skin should be removed before eating.
• If the poultry is cooked in a soup, stew or casserole, or if it is stir-fried, the skin should be removed before cooking.

• Boneless duck breast is exceptionally lean when it's served without the skin. It has a rich, meaty flavour not unlike beef, but is far lower in fat and calories. Remove the skin, season and cook the duck breast as you would a beef steak.
• Buy skinless, boneless turkey breast and grind it in a food processor—you'll get leaner meat than store-bought ground turkey, which often has turkey skin added to it.
• For moist turkey burgers, add cubes of whole wheat bread or very finely chopped mush­rooms to the mixture before shaping into patties.
• Turkey legs are great for homemade stock and soups. Remove the skin from the legs and cook with water, herbs and spices. Once the turkey has cooked, remove the meat from the bones. Use the meat in soup or a salad.