Think a Turkey Leg is Diet Food? Think Again!

One day while at WDW I purchased one of those giant smoked turkey legs thinking that this would be a good option. I mean, turkey is lean meat, right? And protein is good for staving off hunger, so what could be wrong with ordering a giant turkey leg? At least it's not smothered in cheese and topped with two pieces of bacon, like the turkey sandwiches you can get at many of the "quick service" stops around WDW.

I enjoyed the turkey leg, but realized while I was eating it that I am also eating the skin which is the most fattening part of turkey. Something just didn't seem right about the turkey leg. It seemed much more fatty than the lean turkey slices I get for making sandwiches. Therefore, then I got back home I looked into it a little more in depth.

What I found shocked me. According to WebMD, the total calorie and fat count for a giant turkey leg is 1,136 calories and 54 g fat!

The difference between this and lean turkey meat for sandwiches is that you are eating dark meat in the leg, and you are also getting skin which is absent in the sandwich slices. So my advice if you are wanting protein to help keep hunger at bay is to keep these snacks handy:

• One serving Gogart's (yogurt packed for kids)
• Lean beef jerky. Most beef jerky is lean, just don't get the Slim Jim type processed beef sticks as they are loaded with fat.
• Sandwiches with lean slices of meat. Hold the mayo and use fat free cheese.