Turkey Burgers Vs Beef Burgers- Which is the Better Choice?

Both!

Let’s back up. I’ll admit it; I, too, am a child of the late 80’s/early 90’s when we all thought low-fat was the way to go.  Remember those days?  Back then, we thought a low-fat (or even better, fat-free) turkey burger was a far better choice than a “high-in-fat-bad-for-you-hamburger”.   Heaven forbid we’d add more than a scant slice of avocado as that would have also contributed the dreaded fat.  Better to have it with some plain ice berg lettuce and a celery stick.

Thank God those days are behind us.

Well, hopefully they are; it’s certainly the case if you’re Paleo.  Good thing, too, as low fat is not only not conducive to weight loss as a long term, sustainable method, it’s also not healthy for us, period.  We need fat, good fat, and a nice healthy dollop of it.

So, does that mean it’s always a beef burger over turkey?

Not at all.

Once again, variety proves to be the spice of our Paleo lives.  Sometimes, go for turkey and other times, go for beef.  In any case, if you’re not grinding your meat at home to make burgers, be sure to ask the restaurant where you’re eating to confirm that their burgers are ‘just meat’.   Unfortunately, all too often, bread crumbs, flour and other offenders are hidden in burgers (along with who knows what else; but that’s a topic for another blog!).

Grinding your own meat and making your own burgers at home is not only easy, it’s fun.  Plus, you can mix and match.  I prefer a combination of half grass fed short ribs with grass fed chuck when I’m going for beef, and when I’m opting for turkey, using some dark meat along with white as well as some organs allows for a far juicier burger than just breast meat on its own.

Click here for a great turkey burger recipe!