Applegate Farms Smoked Turkey Breast

In the 1970s when those of us who are baby boomers were thinking about healthy eating, Stephen McDonnell also was thinking about his health. He was not a vegetarian but wanted to eat healthier meat. He founded Applegate Farms. Chris Ely is the co-founder of Applegate Farms. He grew up in a farming family and knew how meat was grown. In addition he studied at a culinary school in England.

McDonnell bought Jugtown Mountain Smokehouse in 1987 from Ely's father. That's when Applegate Farms was born. Their animals are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Their animals are raised humanely. Their animals eat only vegetarian feed which has no animal by products in it. They don't use MSG or fillers. They don't use preservatives or additives.

We buy Smoked Turkey Breast made by Applegate Farms. A 7 ounce package costs $3.69. It has no nitrites, no gluten and is casein free. Casein is milk protein. Many people are lactose intolerant or don't feel well eating dairy thus they want to stay away form casein.

All that's in my product is turkey breast, water and salt. A 2 ounce portion has 50 calories; no fat; 30 mg of cholesterol; 360 mg of sodium; no carbohydrates; no fiber and 12 grams of protein.

We buy several packages at a time. These can be frozen for up to 6 months. Once opened the turkey should be eaten in a couple of days.

You may be wondering about antibiotics. Some people I know believe that if they are given these to fight infections then what is the problem? Well they don't just prevent diseases but they cause the animal to get fatter and at a faster rate than normal. That means younger animals are killed which is good for many because it means food that costs less. We now know that we get immune to antibiotics after awhile. This starts a whole chain reaction which I prefer to avoid.