Turkey: White vs Dark Meat vs Turfurky

Do you know the nutritional differences between white and dark turkey meat? I'm a fan of all parts of the bird, but we know many people who avoid dark meat because they think it's much more unhealthy than white meat. So here's a handy chart so you can see how they compare. We also added the nutritional info for turducken (for you serious poultry lovers), and Tofurky (for you vegans and vegetarians).

Meat Type (3.5 ounce serving)
White meat
156 Calories
3.2 Total Fat(g)
1 Saturated Fat (g)
29.7 Protein (g)

White meat with skin
188 Calories
7.4 Total Fat (g)
2.1 Saturated Fat (g)
28.5 Protein (g)

Dark meat
186 Calories (g)
7.2 Total Fat (g)
2.4 Saturated Fat (g)
28.4 Protein (g)

Dark meat with skin
220 Calories (g)
11.5 Total Fat (g)
3.5 Saturated Fat (g)
27.3 Protein (g)

Turducken, dark meat
187 Calories (g)
8.6 Total Fat (g)
2.8 Saturated Fat (g)
27.4 Protein (g)

Turducken, light meat
161 Calories (g)
4.9 Total Fat (g)
1.5 Saturated Fat (g)
29.4 Protein (g)

Tofurkey
280 Calories (g)
16 Total Fat (g)
1 Saturated Fat (g)
24 Protein (g)

While dark meat does contain a few more calories and fat, it also contains a considerable amount of iron, so go ahead and eat that drumstick you crave. Keep in mind that the skin contains a ton of calories and fat, so feel free to indulge a little, but don't go overboard. As for the Tofurkey, we've surprised to see that it contains so much fat and calories. At least it's low in saturated fat.

Enjoy whichever protein you choose, but remember that these numbers don't include stuffing or gravy on the side. So if you want to save room for a slice of grandma's famous pumpkin pie, limit the turkey fixings.