Which is healthier, white meat or dark meat turkey? Here’s the answer and I bet you’ll be surprised. 

Dark meat gets its dark color from higher levels of myoglobin, a protein which transports and supplies oxygen to working muscles. 

Because turkey and other types of poultry walk around a lot, their leg meat is darker compared to their breast meat. And thanks to an increased myoglobin level, dark meat contains greater amounts of iron, zinc, riboflavin, and thiamin.  

It is true that white meat is less caloric than dark meat, but only by about 20 calories:

• 3 ounces skinless breast meat = 115 calories, 1 grams fat
• 3 ounces skinless dark meat = 135 calories, 3 grams fat

Bottom line: choose whichever poultry meat you prefer, light or dark, just be sure to discard the skin.