There is probably no food that symbolizes Thanksgiving more than turkey. The turkey is native to North America and was part of the traditional meal plans of Native Americans.
Christopher Columbus brought it to Europe after he traveled to America in the early 16th century.
It's no surprise, then, that turkey was a mainstay of Native American harvest banquets. Naturally, the Native Americans and the Pilgrims would feast on this special treat together.
In the modern world, turkey is eaten most commonly in Israel, the United States, Italy, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
Turkey is tasty and healthy. It's full of lean protein. That means it doesn't have a lot of fat. It actually has a lot less than red meat (like steak and hamburger).
Did you know that a 4-oz. serving of white meat has over 60% of the US daily allotment of protein?
As we all know, the human body is made up of cells. Protein is what we use to create amino acids which make up all of those cells!
Wow! Turkey can help us rebuild our bodies and make them strong.
Speaking of amino acids, did you know that turkey is a great source of L-tryptophan (that's pronounced: elle tripp toe fan)?
L-tryptophan helps the body to produce a hormone (that's a substance that sends a message to the body to do something, kind of like your mom or dad) called serotonin (seh row toe nihn). This chemical tells the body to relax and can improve feelings of sadness.
L-tryptophan has also been known to help a person get ready for sleep. Many people think that turkey itself makes you sleepy. It's true that, after a big meal like the one we eat on Thanksgiving, we all seem to get a little tired.
But, it's probably not the turkey that makes you feel that way. If you feel sleepy, it's probably because you ate too much of certain foods like stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie.
Turkey is also high in selenium (sah-lehn-ee-yum). Selenium is a mineral that keeps your immune system strong so you don't get sick. It can also help you fight off certain diseases such as cancer.
Turkey has a lot of niacin (nigh ah sihn) and zinc, too. Niacin keeps your cells strong and zinc is supposed to keep you from getting colds and things like that.
Wait! That's not all the nutrition you can find in turkey!
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