Animal / meat
Turkey
USDA description: Turkey, NFS
How turkey scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.
Food Index score
TurkeyGood
| Starting score | 100 |
| Purine Load | -16.6 |
| Nutrient Gaps | -6 |
| Sodium | -5.3 |
| Calorie Density | -1.7 |
| Saturated Fat | -0.9 |
| Heme Iron | -0.8 |
| 2 smaller factors | +0.9 |
| Final score | 70 |
Turkey scores 70 out of 100 and sits in the good band. Generally ranks well. Most people with gout find it fits into a regular eating pattern.
Penalties took 31.3 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 0.9 back. Every factor is listed in full below.
Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.
The underlying data
Nutrition and portions
Nutrition Facts
- Total Fat2.1 g
- Saturated Fat0.59 g
- Sodium467 mg
- Dietary Fiber0 g
- Total Sugars0 g
- Protein28.8 g
- Calcium11 mg
- Iron0.65 mg
- Magnesium31 mg
- Vitamin C0 mg
- Folate10 ug
- Water68.1 g
- Alcohol0 g
- Omega-3 EPA0 g
- Omega-3 DHA0 g
Common portions
- 1 small or thin slice30 g
- 1 medium slicetypical60 g
- 1 large or thick slice85 g
- 1 cup, diced, cooked135 g
- 1 oz, boneless, cooked28 g
- Quantity not specified85 g
Where the purine figure comes from
No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (turkey, duck, other poultry).
We rate this a good confidence estimate.
How purines affect the score →Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.
Scoring rationale
Every factor, in full
Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.
- -16.6Flare risk
Purine LoadFlare risk
120 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 1x as an animal source and 1.0x for the typical portion: 120 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
- -6Long-term
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 2 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
- -5.3Long-term
SodiumLong-term
467 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
- -1.7Long-term
Calorie DensityLong-term
139 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
- -0.9Long-term
Saturated FatLong-term
0.59 g of saturated fat per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
- -0.8Long-term
Heme IronLong-term
0.65 mg of iron per 100 g, of which about 60% is heme iron in animal foods, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li R 2018, Asia Pac J Clin Nutr
- +0.8Long-term
MagnesiumLong-term
31 mg of magnesium per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
- +0.1Long-term
FolateLong-term
10 µg of folate per 100 g, with no portion adjustment.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Keep looking
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Common questions
About turkey
Look up any food's Food Index score
Each score lists the factors that moved it, the portion it assumes, and the studies behind each factor's weight.