February 2, 2018

Turkey Is A Healthy And Nutritious Choice For Everyday Meals

turkey meatball recipe
With the holidays behind us, we know how hard it is to get your family back into a regular routine and deal with everyday cooking and eating challenges. A new year means getting back to basics, and the way we eat and the foods we choose are a critical part of making healthy choices. Choosing healthy ingredients and creating nutritious meals for your family doesn't have to be a compromise. Canadian Turkey is here to provide you with helpful tips to get you on track and unique ways to create easy-to-make recipes and that use super-charged ingredients.
We know that all Canadian moms want the best for their families. It's challenging to find new ways to keep your family eating well, to incorporate healthy choices into everyday meals, and to change up everyday meal choices to keep things tasty and exciting. Turkey is the perfect go-to ingredient, and it can be used as a substitute for any other meat protein in nearly every recipe. Make sure to include turkey when planning your breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals so that your family feels energized all day, with tasty recipes that are budget and time friendly.

Turkey is such a versatile protein, that you can be sure to showcase a wide variety of tastes and flavour profiles. Both dark and white meat cuts lend themselves to different spice blends so you can customize preparations to your own family's preferences and habits without compromise. Finding meal solutions that will help you easily feed your family is a great way to get a head start on a busy week. Canadian turkey is the perfect ingredient for many of your everyday meals, and you can also count on leftovers to make some healthy and quick dishes during those busy days when you have your hands full. There's nothing better than making some delectable dishes for the remainder of the week, or stashing some pre-made meals in the freezer for another busy weeknight.

If eating well is on your list of healthy resolutions for 2018, keep your resolutions simple so you can stick with those healthy habits all year long. When it comes to healthy eating, one of the most positive steps you can take is to try to get back to basics and cook from scratch more often. When you cook your meals from scratch, you can control what goes into your food like salt and fats. Cooking with whole food ingredients ensures that you are feeding your family essential vitamins and nutrients. And you can start with lean ingredients like turkey as the building blocks for your recipes to create healthy meals that still taste delicious and satisfying. These are all great reasons to try to get back to basics in the kitchen.

Before you can start preparing those freshly made meals, you need to stock your kitchen with wholesome, real food ingredients that make cooking healthier meals at home a breeze! Start by buying pantry staples that you can use in everyday dishes - items like beans, tomatoes, lentils, olives, mustards and brown rice. Fill your fridge with fruits and vegetables that have 'lasting power', like carrots, cabbage, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes, squash, oranges, and apples. Buy spices and herbs to have on hand that you can mix together to create different flavours and marinades. Invest in good quality oils and vinegars that work double time by being good for you and that also make great dressings. And keep your freezer stocked with pre-cooked turkey that is ready whenever you need a protein boost for your favourite dishes like salads, soups, casseroles, and pasta.

One-Pot Saucy Turkey Meatballs

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4-6

1 ½ lbs ground Canadian turkey
1 large Canadian turkey sausage (1/3 lbs), removed from casing
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup milk
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped or grated onion
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Pour milk into breadcrumbs and let soak until fully absorbed, 2-3 minutes.
3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and cooked through but not browned, 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Combine all ingredients in a large-size mixing bowl. Do not overwork to keep the meatballs light and fluffy.
5. Use a standard size ice cream scoop to evenly portion out meatball mixture into a large size oven-proof skillet or frying pan. Use the palms of your hands to roll into balls.
6. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven.
7. Add tomato sauce to meatballs and gently simmer over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes.
8. Serve.

Tip: These meatballs can be portioned out and frozen for a quick weeknight meal or lunch. Serve over rice, pasta, zucchini noodles or on their own with a hearty salad.

5 Reasons to Reach for Turkey
Turkey is a whole, nutrient-rich food (meaning it has a lot of nutrients per calorie) that fits into an overall high quality diet that's good for you without compromising on flavour or taste! Swap turkey for any protein in all of your favourite recipes and instantly make a leaner, healthier choice! Here's why you can feel great adding turkey to all your meals and snacks:

1. Canadian turkey is a lean source of high quality, protein. Eating enough protein at each meal can help you maintain a healthy weight, and provide you with a good source of energy.
2. White meat is a low fat, extra-lean choice with just 3 grams of fat per 100-gram serving.
3. Dark meat is lean too, with just 8 grams of fat per 100-gram serving. Plus, dark meat gives you an even bigger boost of selenium, an important heart-healthy antioxidant mineral.
4. Most of the fat in turkey is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. In fact, almost half the fat in turkey is monounsaturated – that's the same type of fat found in heart-healthy olive oil!
5. All fresh cuts of turkey are naturally low in sodium. And because turkey is super tasty, you don't need salty marinades to make it taste good. 

Looking for additional tips, recipes, videos and HOW TOs? Visit canadianturkey.ca for all your healthy cooking inspiration. The recipe section is packed with a wide variety of amazing recipes for full meals, appetizers and snacks. You can also find a gold mine of ideas for your leftovers and make-ahead meals.  There's nothing better than making some delectable dishes for the remainder of the week, or stashing some pre-made meals in the freezer for another busy weeknight.

Giveaway:
If you are in Canada and would like to win a $75 Visa prepaid gift card to help you prepare a nutritious Canadian Turkey meal then enter the giveaway before February 20.
Update: The winner is Krista
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Canadian Turkey. All rights reserved on the content of this site Createwithmom © 2010 - 2018. Please Ask First

107 comments:

  1. Turkey is packed with protein and is lean. We love turkey.

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  2. Turkey is a great choice for our family because it is high in protein, low in fat, and tastes yummy in a lot of our favorite recipes.

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  3. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is healthy! There is also SO many thing you can do with it!

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  4. I learnt that turkey is high in protein and iron. It is also low in fat and lean.

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  5. Turkey is great as we all love it, it is very versatile and high in protein and provides us with heart healthy POTASSIUM.

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  6. My family and i eat a lot off turkey we love the taste. I do a lot off different recipes..Thanks for this amazing opportunity

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  7. I like turkey for my family because it is a healthy, lean source of protein and iron. Thanks!

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  8. Canadian turkey is a great source of lean protein and has iron, phosphorous, niacin Vitamin D Vitamin B12 zinc selenium and potassium. And it tastes delicious.

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  9. I like that is is lean, nutritious and so versatile for my family.

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  10. Turkey is a great choice for my family as it is packed with protein and all turkey is lean (the dark and the light meat).

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  11. turkey is a high quality lean protein, give you a boost with energizing iron and it tastes great

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  12. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for your family is Turkey is lean.

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  13. Turkey’s so versatile not to mention packed full of protein and very lean too. It also has zinc (for a healthy immune system), selenium (an antioxidant mineral) and vitamin B12 (keeps your nervous system working well). Dark meat (100-gram serving) is also a source of iron. Turkey is a wonderful healthy meat.

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  14. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is a great source of protein!

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  15. Canadian Turkey is great for my family because it has good quality protein.

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  16. Canadian turkey is a great choice for my family because it contains easily-absorbable zinc, which helps boost the immune system.

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  17. Turkey have vitamin 12 + d , niacin , selenium that we all need

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  18. Canadian turkey is a nutritious choice for my family because it is a good source of protein and it is leaner choice than other meats.

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  19. It's a good choice for my family because it is low in sodium and high in protein.It is versatile for a family of picky eaters. Lots of choices to make it the way they like it and also be good for them.

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  20. Canadian Turkey is a nutritious choice for my family because it is a tasty source of lean protein!

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  21. Turkey is lean, packed with protein and has a lot of nutrients.

    Florence Cochrane

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  22. it is a great source of lean protein
    jan

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  23. I like turkey as it's a lean protein that is quite healthy and fits diets for people who care about their well-being.

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  24. We like the lean protein provided by turkey.

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  25. Canadian turkey is a great source of lean protein and has iron, phosphorous, niacin Vitamin D Vitamin B12 zinc selenium and potassium. It is a favourite here

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  26. It's full of vitamins and rich in iron.

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  27. Turkey has lots of high quality protein!! (entered as Stephanie)

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  28. Turkey is lean, packed with protein and a good source of vitamin B12.

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  29. Turkey is a nutritional powerhouse...so many benefits listed, one being full of potassium!

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  30. Turkey is a great nutritious source because it builds up your body with immune-strengthening ZINC.

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  31. Debbie White BeattieFebruary 2, 2018 at 10:41 PM

    Turkey is nutritious because it’s got high quality protein, it’s lean, it gives you iron, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin D, potassium and phosphorus

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  32. Canadian turkey is a great source of lean protein. Not to mention It taste good and my family like it.

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  33. I like turkey for my family because it is low in fat and high in protein.

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  34. Turkey is a great source of lean protein!

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  35. Turkey is packed with high quality protein

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  36. I love that their turkey legs that are skinless and roasted are high in protein and low in calories. They are one of our family's favourites with some in the frig right now in anticipation of the Super Bowl tomorrow. Thanks for the super giveaway opportunity.

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  37. Turkey builds up your body with immune-strengthening ZINC.

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  38. Turkey is high in protein and lean.

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  39. I consume turkey because turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN.

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  40. We love that Turkey is a lean source of protein.... but what I didn't know is that it is bursting with vitamin B12.

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  41. I learnt that turkey is high in protein and iron

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  42. Turkey is full of heme iron, which is normally comes from animal related sources and its much easier to absorb. As someone who suffers from consistent anemia, this would be a perfect addition to my diet.

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  43. Turkey is high quality protein.
    Nancy
    tis-so at Hotmail dot com

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  44. I love turkey! It is lean and full of protein and very versatile :) A great alternative to chicken!

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  45. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is so versatile,and great for a snack,lunch,dinner or supper. The entire family loves it.

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  46. It is a nutritious choice because it is lean and full of protein, perfect for this family that has to watch their fat intake. (Judy Cowan)

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  47. Turkey is great for my family because it is a good source of vitamin B12 and high in protein.

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  48. Canadian turkey is a good choice for my family as it is low in fat and high in protein.

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  49. Turkey is healthy because it's high in protein which leaves you fuller longer and helps you to build lean muscle

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  50. high in vitamin B and also protein which is great for creating muscle

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  51. Turkey is high in vitamin B12 + d , niacin , selenium which are all good for the body

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  52. It is the best choice for my family because it is packed with Protein, a healthier food to have and you can make many different meals with it

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  53. It has lean meat and is high in protein.

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  54. Every bite of turkey is an excellent source of high quality protein, a nutrient that is key for overall good health; it plays an important role in building, maintaining and repairing your body every day.

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  55. Turkey is a power protein and I like that it has a number of vitamins that I can get from a food source rather than a pill.

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  56. Turkey is a great choice for my family because it is full of nutrients like iron and zinc.

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  57. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is provides a source of iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and D. It is a lean choice.

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  58. Turkey gives you a boost with energizing IRON.

    I like that there is Iron which is a mineral that keeps your body’s cells working properly and helps boost resistance to infection and helps your body to use energy.

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  59. Canadian turkey is a great source of high quality protein!

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  60. I love turkey since both light and dark meat are lean, but especially the white meat.

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  61. Turkey is rich in Zinc, Iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and low in sodium.

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  62. Lots of protein in turkey so its really good for my family! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  63. it is a healthy, lean source of protein and iron and great for so many different recipes all year round.

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  64. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it is low in sodium and lean.

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  65. Canadian turkey is a great nutritious choice for my family because it's high in protein and we love it !

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  66. It's a great nutritious choice because it's a lean source of protein

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  67. I like that turkey is lean and nutritious for our family.

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  68. 100g serving of CdnTurkey has 30g of protein, making it an excellent source of high quality protein. (a little certain goes a long way!!)

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  69. It is a great source of lean protein and it tastes great!

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  70. Turkey has Zinc, Iron, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D!

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  71. It's great for us because it's a lean source of protein, both white and dark meat.

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  72. I found out that turkey is high in protein and iron.

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  73. I learned that turkey is packed with high quality PROTEIN, gives you a boost with energizing IRON, builds up your body with immune-strengthening ZINC, is naturally low in SODIUM, provides you with heart healthy POTASSIUM,is filled with PHOSPHORUS & delivers bone-building VITAMIN D.

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  74. Turkey is a great choice for my family because it is a great source of protein and iron. It also has potassium, which is good for your heart. :)

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  75. Love that it is a lean protein, and easy to sub in for other meats.

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  76. I really like that turkey is a lean meat, and that it can be made into so many different recipes.

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  77. Canadian turkey is a healthy choice for my family because it is high in iron, which is something we need more of (especially me, I am often anemic).

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  78. It is a great source because it's a good source of lean protein.

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  79. Turkey is a great choice for us because we love the taste and the amount of protein.

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  80. I like that it is a lean protein and packed with nutrients.

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  81. Turkey is a great choice for my family because of the great vitamins it carries and the B12 that my husband needs

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  82. turkey is quality lean protein, has minerals and vitamins, and my family loves the taste so they will eat it. thanks

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  83. Great site for turkey recipes for the family!

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  84. I like that it's packed with protein and lean

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  85. Turkey is packed with high quality protein

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  86. Turkey is packed with high quality protein.

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  87. Turkey is a great choice because it is packed with nutrients like vitamin B12 (important in keeping your nervous system – the body’s electrical wiring – working well), selenium (an antioxidant mineral) and zinc (for a strong immune system).

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  88. Turkey is tasty, nutritious, low fat and easy to prepare.

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  89. Turkey is packed full of protein and very lean too. It also has zinc (for a healthy immune system), selenium (an antioxidant mineral) and vitamin B12 (keeps your nervous system working well). Dark meat (100-gram serving) is also a source of iron. Turkey is a wonderful healthy meat.

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  90. Canadian turkey is great for my family because all turkey is lean.

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  91. My kids love turkey and it's a great lean meat to include in my meals.
    Marlene V.

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  92. It’s a great choice for my family because recently I’ve been focusing on food substitutions for health & weight loss, so I’ve been using ground turkey a lot for dishes like casseroles, tacos, etc. It really makes a difference since it has just over half the fat of lean ground beef.

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  93. What for dinner for to day? spagety with meat balls taste like beef but more nutricioous Do you gess what is that its is Turkey meat balls

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  94. Canadian Turkey is great for my family because it has good protein

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  95. Turkey is packed with protein, each 100-gram serving of turkey has about 30 grams of high quality protein.

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  96. I like that turkey is a great source of lean protein: Each 100g serving provides 30 grams of protein.

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  97. One of the reasons turkey is nutritious, is that both dark and white turkey meat are lean.

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  98. It is a perfect choice for my us because it is high in protein and lean. Hubby and I are both trying to lose a little weight.

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  99. I learnt that turkey is high in protein

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  100. It is perfect for my family because turkey is lean and packed with protein.

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  101. It a great choice because of its high protein content and its not fat

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  102. Canadian turkey is a great option, high in protein, low in fat. and really tasty

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  103. Turkey is a great choice as it is a good source of lean protein and is tasty and versatile.

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  104. Turkey is a great source of lean protein.

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Thank you for commenting :)