turkey tips 2018
when it comes to eating real food, remember, we are real foodies first. which means it’s a hell of a lot better to eat a turkey that may not be the best quality, than it is to eat processed food or crap. if we went to a friends house and they were serving conventional turkey meat, I wouldn’t have a problem eating it.
conventional turkey / poultry terms
- hormones are not allowed in raising poultry. therefore, the claim “no hormones added” or “raised without the use of hormones” cannot be used on the labels of poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says, “Federal regulations do not permit the use of hormones in poultry.”
- “sustainable?” worthless. there’s no standard definition in the industry. you’d have to ask the producer what they mean by it.
- “free range?” pretty worthless. in order to use these terms on a label, poultry producers must provide a brief description of the bird’s housing conditions with the label when it is submitted for approval. the written description of the housing conditions is evaluated to ensure the birds have continuous, free access to the outdoors for over 51% of their lives, i.e., through their normal growing cycle.
- “Natural?” useful when it comes to poultry and livestock. be useful because it means the birds are not injected with colors or artificial flavors, or preservatives.
unfortunately, most conventional turkeys are potentially tainted with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, exposing consumers to foodborne illnesses and hard-to-treat infections.
go for better than just ok :)
to avoid these risks, we’d recommend looking for these quality upgrades:
- USDA Certified Organic. no GMO feed, antibiotics or growth promoters and birds have outdoor access. view the Behind the USDA Organic Seal Fact Sheet, and the Organic Labels Explained Fact Sheet. great info!
- Certified Humane®. the standards for turkeys are pretty intense. check them out here.
- Global Animal Partnership Steps 3 to 5+. check out their info here. they have steps 1-5, look for 3 or better :)
- Certified Animal Welfare Approved. a great label.
a couple of other holistic resources
- this turkey label cheat sheet by the EWG is awesome. download it, print it, and take it with you!
- make your own turkey by purchasing a real turkey from a local farm. use LocalHarvest’s organic turkey farmer finder! just enter your zip code. closest one to us in Las Vegas is Quail Hollow Farm is Overton, Nevada.
or just keep it simple by looking for these well-known brands at the supermarket that are USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified. the 2 most notable and available brands are Mary’s Turkey and Diestel Turkey.
local Las Vegas turkeys
Costco
- Costco organic turkeys $2.99 / lb.
- FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
Trader Joes
- Trader Joes organic $3.49 / lb.
- FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
Sprouts
- Sprouts organic $2.99 / lb.
- FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
Whole Foods Market
- Whole Foods organic $3.49 / lb.
- ORDER AND HAVE IT RESERVED! BOTH THANKSGIVING AND XMAS
- they also carry Mary’s Turkey and Diestel Turkey in most stores.
about sides
in all the health food stores there are a few sides made with approved ingredients. for example:
- Whole Foods Organic Creamy Mashed potatoes checked out.
- Trader Joe’s had some cranberry sauces that check out.
BUT! these things are so simple to make, why buy them?! put your own TLC into it! download our Thanksgiving and Holiday’s recipe booklet here. it also comes with tips and hints for surviving the holidays and it’s SOLID.
