I don't think that fat content/heart health is the only variable. Red meat increases cancer risk.

Look at the fat content OP. Usually, ground turkey has a lower fat content. A lot of red meat is not good for the heart. So, it depends if you have heart disease or propensity in your gene pool.

I use bison sometimes for chili, spaghetti etc. I cannot stand ground turkey and it stinks sooooo bad when I try to cook it. I love (non-ground) turkey so am not sure why the ground stuff is so gross to me.

If you buy ground turkey breast (not just regular ground turkey) the fat and cals should be considerably lower than lean ground beef. Just make sure you add things to flavor it and keep it from drying out. Other options are ground buffalo (bison) and ostrich, both with similar flavors to beef but considerably leaner. Again, watch out for overcooking those, as they they can easily become dry.

Campylobactor vs. E. coli. Take your pick, and cook thoroughly!

We use both. I actually don't like the flavor of ground turkey as much as ground beef. Stometimes I also use ground chicken, especially in chili.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use turkey. I prefer the flavor now.

+1

If you were trying to lose weight, and therefor watching calories, would you still eat turkey over the leaner ground beef? OP here -- that's the boat I'm in, so I'm just curious.

Anonymous wrote:We use turkey. I prefer the flavor now.

+1

I think it is better to eat a variety so I try to vary our ground meats --turkey, beef, pork. Don't tell DH but I will even mix ground rabbit and/or goat in with ground beef in a pasta sauce.

I don't buy ground lamb because it is too expensive.

We use turkey. I prefer the flavor now.

If you can find ground venison and mix half and half with lean ground beef, you're even better off. If your cooking something with it in it, most people can't even tell. I put it in spaghetti and chili every time.

I used to buy ground turkey a lot, and rarely beef, but lately have been buying lean ground beef. When comparing the nutritional info on the back of the package, ground beef often comes out ahead of turkey. I can find lean ground beef with 130-150 cals per serving, while some brands of ground turkey have 180-220 cals per serving.

Is there some other benefit to using ground turkey instead of beef? At this point I'm leaning toward the beef, but am I missing something? Is it unhealthy to eat lean (96-4 or 93-7) ground beef 3-4 times per week?