Smoked turkey legs hold a special place in the hearts of fair and theme park goers. Their iconic status comes from their massive size, tempting aroma and finger-licking flavor. But before grabbing one of those giant legs, it’s important to know just how many calories you’ll be chomping through.
With their indulgent taste and lack of reasonable portion sizes, smoked turkey legs can quickly sabotage your diet. But armed with the nutrition facts, you can still occasionally enjoy these carnival treats guilt-free. Here’s a deep dive into the calorie count and nutrition profile of smoked turkey legs.
Typical Serving Size: Around 1 Pound
When you get a smoked turkey leg at a fair or theme park you’re not getting a few thin slices. These honkers typically weigh about 1 pound each, equivalent to a whole turkey leg.
To give perspective, the recommended portion size for poultry is only 2-3 ounces. So you’re getting 3-4 times the suggested serving! Consuming an entire smoked turkey leg means taking in a lot more calories than a reasonably sized portion.
Calories in a 1 Pound Smoked Turkey Leg: Over 1,100
According to CalorieKing, a 19 ounce (approximately 1 pound) smoked turkey leg with skin contains a staggering 1,135 calories!
For comparison, the recommended daily calorie intake for most moderately active women is around 2,000 calories. For men it’s 2,500. So a whole smoked turkey leg contains over half of your total daily calories.
Clearly porking out on an entire 1-pound smoked turkey leg would blow a huge hole in your daily calorie allowance. Definitely enough to gain weight if it became a regular habit.
Where the Calories Come From
Of the 1,135 calories in a 1-pound smoked turkey leg, a full 486 calories come from fat. That’s nearly 50% of the calories from fat!
The remaining 649 calories come from protein. There are no carbs in a smoked turkey leg.
With 54 grams of total fat and 48 grams saturated fat, a whole leg also provides 83% of the daily value for saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to just 13 grams daily.
Removing the Skin Slashes Calories
Luckily, there’s an easy way to reduce the high calorie count of smoked turkey legs – remove the skin before eating.
Since the skin is where most of the fat resides, ditching it significantly cuts calories and fat. Data from FatSecret shows a 3.5 ounce serving of smoked turkey leg meat without skin has 130 calories. With the skin, it’s 208 calories. Removing the skin cuts nearly 40% of the calories!
Other Tips for Guilt-Free Enjoyment
Here are some other tips to keep your smoked turkey leg cravings in check:
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Share with 1-2 friends or family members so you don’t overeat.
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Pair it with lower calorie sides like a salad instead of fries or sugary beverages.
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Stop eating when you feel satisfied, not stuffed.
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Savor each juicy bite instead of mindlessly inhaling it.
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Have it only occasionally as a special treat, not frequently.
Nutritional Benefits
While too much can lead to excess calories, smoked turkey legs do offer some nutritional perks:
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Excellent source of protein with over 150 grams in a 1 pound leg. Protein is very filling.
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Rich in B vitamins like niacin, folate and thiamin which support energy and metabolism.
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Provides 44% of your Recommended Daily Value for potassium, a mineral many people lack.
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Also high in selenium, an antioxidant. A full leg contains over 100% of your selenium RDA.
So enjoyed occasionally and in moderation, smoked turkey legs can fit into an overall healthy diet. Just be cautious of portion size to avoid calorie overload.
Key Things to Remember
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A typical smoked turkey leg weighs around 1 pound – much larger than the recommended 2-3 oz portion for poultry.
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A 1 pound smoked turkey leg contains over 1,100 calories and 54 grams of fat.
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Removing the skin significantly reduces calories and fat. Ditch it before eating.
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Share with others and pair with lower calorie sides as a guilt-free way to indulge.
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While high in calories, smoked turkey legs offer protein, B vitamins, potassium and other nutrients.
Smoked turkey legs hold a special spot in the hearts of fair food fans. By watching your portion size, ingredients, and frequency of enjoyment, you can still occasionally indulge in these finger-lickin’ treats without going overboard on calories.
A delicious meal is just moments away when you serve Villari Smoked Turkey Drumsticks.
The delicious, hickory hardwood flavor enhances the tenderness of the meat for a mouth-watering treat. Enjoy these Smoked Turkey Drumsticks with your favorite side dishes like baked beans or rice for a hearty meal. It’s a popular choice to cook on the grill. Stock up on several packages of smoked drumsticks to have plenty on hand for everyone to savor. Villari carries a wide selection of additional meats, including sausages and organic products from animals raised without any hormones or antibiotics.
Weight loss Meals Ep.3 KALE & SMOKED TURKEY
FAQ
How many calories are in one turkey leg?
1 leg, bone removed of turkey leg (Fryer-roasters, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) contains 417 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 0% carbs, 30% fat, and 70% protein. This is a good source of protein (125% of your Daily Value), potassium (13% of your Daily Value), and iron (79% of your Daily Value).
Are smoked turkey legs good to eat?
Smoked turkey legs have surged in popularity. Most likely because they are easier to prepare compared to an entire turkey plus tastier too if you’re a fan of dark meat. An easy grab and go meal, they are flaunted at most theme parks like Disney as well as fairs and Renaissance festivals.
How many calories in a smoked turkey leg from Disney?
It is a beast: around 1000 calories, 50 grams of fat, 150grams of protein, and over 5000mg of sodium according to several disney sources.
How many calories are in a smoked drumstick?
| 165 | Calories |
|---|---|
| 9g | Fat |
| 1g | Carbs |
| 20g | Protein |
How many calories are in a smoked turkey leg?
A leg that big has 1,136 calories per serving and 54 grams of fat. If you’re following a low-carb diet, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are no carbohydrates in a smoked turkey leg. However, you’ll more than meet your protein requirement for the next several days, as this theme-park treat serves up 152 grams of protein per 1-pound serving.
How many calories are in a turkey leg?
A raw turkey leg, skin and meat, has 144 calories per 100 grams, which is roughly a 3 1/2-ounce serving. Roasted, each 100 grams measured after cooking, has 170 calories, meat and skin. If you remove the skin, a 100-gram serving has 159 calories. Turkey legs are an excellent source of protein, with 28 grams per leg.
How much fat is in a turkey leg?
There are no recommended intakes for fat, but it’s recommended that you no more than 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from fat, and no more than 7 percent of those should be from trans fats, according to the American Heart Association. One turkey leg contains 5.4 grams of fat according to the USDA Nutrient Database.
Is a smoked turkey leg healthy?
The nutrition of a smoked turkey leg depends on how it’s prepared. When you spend the day at the county fair or a local theme park, part of your day may include a treat that’s tough to find anywhere else: a giant smoked turkey leg. It seems like a pretty good option, after all, turkey is a lean protein and it’s smoked, not fried.
How many legs does a smoked turkey have?
A dissection of a six-legged turkey shows that two legs are attached by bones and skin. The four other legs are fastened with – gasp! – 3-inch wood skewers. The smoked turkey is more of an artistic overstatement than an abomination of nature. But that has not stopped critics of the six-legged turkey from calling Fox Sports to complain.
How many calories are in a slice of smoked turkey?
There are 29 calories in 1 thin slice of Smoked Light or Dark Turkey Meat. Calorie breakdown: 44% fat, 0% carbs, 56% protein. Please note that some foods may not be suitable for some people and you are urged to seek the advice of a physician before beginning any weight loss effort or diet regimen.