Turkey: Dining for the Diabetic

The best gift anyone can give this holiday season is the gift of food safety. This is especially true for the elderly, young children and people with chronic diseases. Every year people call to ask about how to thaw a frozen turkey. Placing a frozen turkey in the refrigerator is the only reliable and safe method for thawing and it is the only method that is recommended. The turkey should be kept in its original wrapper during the thawing process and it should be placed on a platter to catch any juices that may leak from the package. Thawing the bird in the refrigerator may require several days, especially if the turkey is a large size, but it is absolutely the safest method for thawing. The cool temperature of the refrigerator (usually no higher than 40°F) discourages the growth of harmful organisms in the turkey as it thaws. Up to 5 hours defrosting time per pound should be allowed to properly thaw the turkey. The required time may vary because of the individual temperature settings of different refrigerators.

For the best results, the stuffing should be prepared immediately before the turkey will be stuffed, and the turkey should be stuffed immediately before it is ready to go into the oven. This will reduce the risk of the growth of harmful bacteria. Some cooks make the mistake of preparing the stuffing and placing it in the turkey well in advance of roasting the bird in order to save time, but this is a dangerous practice. Even if the stuffing is to be baked in a separate dish, the ingredients for the stuffing should not be mixed together until it is time for the dish to be placed into the oven. There are, however, some steps that can be taken to save time, such as chopping the vegetables or preparing dried and cubed bread for the stuffing base. This provides an easy situation in which the stuffing ingredients can be mixed quickly, immediately prior to the time that the turkey is to be cooked. The total quantity of stuffing that is prepared may not fit properly inside the turkey. In this case, the extra stuffing can be cooked in a baking dish. Many cooks prefer to place all of the stuffing in a baking dish because an unstuffed turkey does not require as much time to cook. The turkey should not be overstuffed. The stuffing will expand during the cooking process and some of it may not cook thoroughly because of the density of the stuffing inside the turkey.

The National Turkey Federation recommends roasting a turkey in a 325 degrees F oven until a meat thermometer indicates the internal temperature registers 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast. If you do not stuff your turkey, the addition of 2 cups of coarsely chopped celery, onion and carrots to the cavity will enhance the fragrance and add to the flavor of the pan juices.

The roasting times shown on the chart below reflect the shorter cooking times of the turkeys produced by today’s turkey industry. Turkeys today take less time to cook than in the past because new turkey breeds produce a higher proportion of white meat. Since white meat cooks faster than dark meat, care should be taken to follow these guidelines to ensure a moist turkey. Use roasting times as a planning guide only; use a thermometer to determine actual doneness.

“Open Pan Method” NTF Roasting Guidelines for a Fresh or Thawed Turkey

Roast in a 325 degrees F Conventional Oven on the Lowest Oven Rack

Weight – Unstuffed Turkey – Stuffed Turkey

8 to 12 pounds – 2 3/4 to 3 hours – 3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 14 pounds – 3 to 3 3/4 hours – 3 1/2 to 4 hours

14 to 18 pounds – 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours – 4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds – 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours – 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20 to 24 pounds – 4 1/2 to 5 hours – 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

24 to 30 pounds – 5 to 5 1/4 hours – 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 hours

Turkey is an excellent choice not only for Thanksgiving but any time of the year. It is fairly economical, high in protein and low in fat! Enjoy your turkey with these side dishes!

Seasoned Green Beans

1 10 oz. package frozen green beans or 2 cups fresh green beans

1 cup fat free broth

1 small onion, chopped

½ tsp. commercial herb mixture (spicy is best)

juice of one lemon or 3 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice

black pepper to taste

Heat the broth in a saucepan until boiling. Add the herb seasoning mix, beans, and onion. Turn down the heat. Cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes. Before serving sprinkle with lemon juice and pepper

Makes 4 ½ cup servings

Calories: 25

Sodium: 2 mg.

Carbohydrates: 6 grams.

Protein: 1 gram

Fat: 0 grams

Exchange: 1 nonstarchy vegetable

Mashed Potatoes and Carrots

5 potatoes (peeled and cut into pieces for boiling)

2 large carrots (peeled and cut into pieces for boiling)

½ cup skim milk

¼ cup “diet” margarine

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

Cook potatoes and carrots until tender. Drain. Beat with margarine and milk. Add seasonings. Makes 8 servings

Calories: 70

Fat: 4 gm.

Sodium: 88 mg.

Protein: 2 gm.

Carbohydrates: 15 gms.

Light Pumpkin Pie

2 cups canned pumpkin

3 egg whites slightly beaten

4 tablespoons brown sugar

12 packets Equal (aspartame)

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

10 oz. evaporated skim milk

10 inch, unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the first eight ingredients beginning with pumpkin and ending with evaporated milk. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking for another 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Allow pie to cool. Store leftovers in the refrigerator

Makes 10 servings

Calories: 163

Sodium: 198 mg.

Carbohydrates: 22 gms.

Protein: 6 gms.

Fat: 7 gms.

Exchanges: 1.5 starches, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

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