365 (Whole Foods) Organic Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast Slices

Whole Foods Smoked Turkey Breast Slices

I know I’m late to the party, but I just discovered this product a few days ago, and what a find! 240 mg sodium for 2 oz or 4 slices. Wow! Compare those numbers to another easily available product such as Hillshire Farms Honey Roasted Turkey Breast at 410 mg sodium/2 oz serving. Applegate Organics/Naturals Smoked Turkey Breast is a lot better at 360 mg sodium/20 oz serving. But that’s still not as good as the 365 Applewood Smoked Turkey Slices.

Boar’s Head is a wonderful source for lower sodium deli style meats. It has a large selection of turkey breast products, including several smoked varieties. Their lower sodium Hickory Smoked Black Forest turkey breast is 390 mg sodium per 2 oz serving. Their Simplicity All Natural smoked turkey breast is only 250 mg sodium per 2 oz serving. Really great numbers! But there’s a problem. Not with the products but with availability. Boar’s Head makes the meats, but not every store carries all the varieties. In my local area, I’m only able to get low sodium plain roasted turkey breast. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fine product. But it’s the smoky flavoring that I’m craving, and plain roasted turkey doesn’t satisfy that hankering.

I’m able to get packaged Applegate smoked turkey breast slices in several of my local supermarkets. It, too, is a fine product. My only complaint is that the smoke flavoring is very mild.

Only 240 mg sodium for a 2 oz serving (about 4 slices)

The 365 smoked turkey, however, has a more robust smoke flavoring that I really like. Its slices are also a bit thicker than most, making it easier to separate them. Also, 2 ounces adds up to four slices. Since the slices are a bit thicker, I’ve only used 2-3 slices per sandwich, lowering the sodium even more. Even with the reduced serving size, the smoky flavor still comes through.

So far I’ve used the 365 smoked turkey slices in cold sandwiches and salads. It’d also be good in scrambled eggs or omelets, grilled sandwiches, and any application where you’d normally use ham.

Smoked Turkey Sandwich with Summer Tomatoes and Lettuce

I only bought one package just to “test drive.” But next time I’m in Whole Foods, I plan to purchase at least two packages. I’m really happy to have made this discovery.