Is Beef Jerky Healthy for You?

So, is Beef Jerky Actually Good for You?

If you’ve already tried all of the low-carb diets out there like paleo, keto, and whatever other diets from hell there are; you’ve likely munched on beef jerky. It’s delicious, controversial, popular, and…confusing? When we say confusing we’re not referring to the snack itself, but more towards its food label. Is beef jerky healthy for you? Is it ‘’junk food’’? Read on to find out.

The History of Beef Jerky

The delicious snack that eventually became the beef jerky we know and love today originated in America thousands of years ago. ‘Ch’arki’, the Inca language Quechuan’s word for ‘’dried meat’’, was first made either during the Inca empire, or by North American Indian Tribes who are widely known for using buffalo meat in their recipes. Beef jerky was a compact, easily-transported type of animal meat and was suitable for long journeys (and still is). For tribes who thrived through America prior to the colonization, it was a tremendous way of storing and preserving meat.

How Beef Jerky is Made

And the answer to the lingering question swirling around your head: ‘’is beef jerky a healthy snack?’’, we first need to educate ourselves on how exactly beef jerky is made. So, let’s fly into Jeff’s personalized brief explanation –

Is Beef Jerky Healthy?

First off, beef jerky is extremely high in protein. However, unlike other meat-based foods, you don’t have to put it in the fridge. This makes it super convenient, and easy to eat whilst on the go. When you combine that with the fact that beef jerky tastes pretty damn good, it’s not hard to see why it’s loved throughout the world.

Beef jerky is truly great to snack on, it’s low in fat, calories, and packed with protein. The benefits that come with it help any exercise enthusiast recover faster, build more muscle, and for those looking to lose weight, it will help in making you feel fuller throughout the day.

Is Beef Jerky Healthy for You? – Sodium and Beef Jerky

High sodium beef jerky used to be the norm, so much so, that you’ll even still find some brands around today that sell beef jerky with extremely high sodium levels. The main ingredient of any jerky marinade has always been soy sauce, which in itself, is very high in sodium. In fact, some traditional brands like Kikkoman still sell soy sauce with a whopping 930mg of sodium per tablespoon.

However, some brands that know what they’re doing (not calling out any names) – offer low sodium beef jerky. Like Jeff’s for example (ok fine, we did it!). But seriously, we have the most succulent, mouth-watering, low sodium jerky in seven tasty flavors, and even one flavor in our turkey jerky range! We know that so many people watch their sodium levels, so we’ve got your back by always having the consumption rate of each ingredient available on our website – you can find our sodium rates by clicking here.

Gluten and Beef Jerky

Anybody required to eat gluten-free foods, or those that choose to, are much more likely to ask whether or not beef jerky is healthy. In order to put you at ease, we have the answer. So, is there gluten in beef jerky? In short – yes. But, as we know by now, Jeff always comes to the rescue.

More often than not, there is gluten in beef jerky. Many people are often surprised by the fact that soy sauce (one of the major ingredients in jerky marinade) does in fact contain gluten. However, this is where Jeff’s famous jerky comes in. We know that by substituting soy sauce for tamari sauce, you’ll create gluten-free beef jerky goodness, and millions of satisfied customers.

Gluten-free jerky often means a sacrifice of flavor, or even when the flavor is good, there is still a slight difference in taste. Over the years some major brands of beef jerky have gone to completely gluten-free products. Jeff’s however, chose to focus heavily on flavor. So we chose to simply expand our gluten-free jerky offerings rather than sacrifice any quality by eliminating popular flavors.

Interested to see what all the hype is about? Check out our gluten-free range by clicking here.

So, Is Beef Jerky Healthy?

Ours is and it’s delicious.

Just kidding – if you are a health fanatic but you love to indulge in jerky, you can now remove it from your list of guilty pleasures. Why, you ask? Well, that’s simply because the answer you’ve long been waiting for is now here – beef jerky IS healthy.

What Type of Beef Jerky Should I Eat?

Now that you know that this scrumptious snack has healthy varieties, you’re able to go nuts and stock up on hundreds of packets. But wait, what type of jerky should you buy?

You can see from the Nutritional Filter on our website that we have a lot of healthy options when it comes to what we offer to our customers. We’re diverse, and want to give everybody that moment of happiness achieved only by biting into your first piece of Jeff’s famous beef jerky.

Although our nutritional ‘low sugar’ range may cause people to think twice, we can assure you that you’ll never be able to tell the difference when you taste it. And, when it comes to our low sodium jerky, you’ll also be happy to find that there’s absolutely NO sacrifice in flavor.

If you’re looking for the ultimate health kick in our beef jerky range, our ‘Brisket Beef’ jerky line is sure to meet and exceed your expectations. It’s 100% natural, and 100% gluten-free. It boasts a super soft, extremely tender coating that you’re able to sink your teeth into, ultimately becoming lost in a world full of magically wonderful flavors.

So, with all of this in mind, what are you waiting for? You now know that beef jerky is healthy and good for you, and exactly where to buy your healthy jerky from! Place your healthy jerky order today and receive your first taste of health heaven, good for you jerky with our succulent strips of deliciousness.