Beef jerky has been around since humankind learned how to cure meat thousands of years ago. It’s popular for camping, backpacking, and any type of travel when you just need a quick protein-packed snack. But you might wonder: is beef jerky actually good for you?

With lots of conflicting nutritional advice, it can be hard to know what’s healthy and what isn’t. So let’s look at the facts about beef jerky and examine whether or not it can benefit your diet.

Beef Jerky History and Nutritional Breakdown

Way back in the day, meat wasn’t easy to come by like it is now. So our ancestors discovered ways to preserve meats, making them readily available even during times when food was scarce.

This method involved adding salt to meat and letting it dry in the sun or over fires—also known as curing.

Today, a curing solution of salt and water plus sodium nitrite (pink salt) is often used to prevent bacteria growth and rancidity while stabilizing the color. This is mixed with a brine solution containing spices and other flavor-enhancing ingredients to create tasty jerky.

Is Beef Jerky Good for You? Let’s Look at the Health Benefits

The nutrition of beef jerky can vary based on how it’s made and flavored, but here are some average numbers.

A serving of beef jerky is about one ounce, which contains anywhere between:

• 80-115 calories
• 1.5-7 grams of fat
• 9-10 grams of protein

Beef itself does not contain any carbohydrates. So the amount of carbs in a serving of beef jerky depends on what ingredients are added to it.

Beef jerky is also a good source of iron (around 1.5 milligrams) and zinc (about two milligrams):

• Iron is important for creating red blood cells in the body that carry oxygen from your lungs into your body. The recommended daily intake for iron is eight milligrams for men and 18 milligrams for women.
• Zinc is necessary for supporting your immune system, creating proteins, wound healing, and much more. Adult men need 11 milligrams of zinc per day, and adult women need eight milligrams.

So, Is Beef Jerky Good for You? Yes, But Quality Matters

The nutritional breakdown of beef jerky is solid. It’s a good source of protein, making it a filling snack (which also means it can be good for weight loss), and provides us with some other very important nutrients. But like with any food, the quality of beef jerky matters as much as (and probably even more than) the macros.

Here are some factors examine when choosing a good beef jerky brand:

1. Source of the Beef

Although it’s harder to find in beef jerky, the best type of beef is grass-fed,organic, and hormone-free.

With high-quality beef like this, you’ll get more heart-healthy omega-3s and more anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than normal grain-fed beef [1].

Other things to look for include premium cuts, range-fed, and USDA-inspected jerky. This ensures not only higher quality but also a better taste and texture.

Jerky can also be made from pork, chicken, and turkey. With these, organic, hormone-free, raised without antibiotics, and no additives or preservatives are all good terms to look for.

2. Added Sugars

The brine ingredients used for beef jerky vary. Some sort of sugar is usually used for flavor, such as brown sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, or dextrose.

It’s best to avoid too many excess added sugars, so look for healthier sweeteners like honey, unrefined sugars, or no sugars at all.

A good rule of thumb is to stick with 10 grams of sugar or less per serving. And if you’re eating a low-carb or keto diet, you’ll especially want to watch the added sweeteners, as the carbs can creep up quickly.

3. Additives and Allergen Ingredients

A lot of beef jerkys also include nitrites, nitrates, preservatives, and artificial flavors. These are all unnecessary and not health promoting. Remember that sodium nitrite used in curing solutions we mentioned above? As an additive, it’s been classified as carcinogenic in some studies. But thankfully, there are healthier jerky brands that create their product without added nitrites.

Gluten and soy are also common components of flavoring and brines. If you have sensitivities to either or suffer from leaky gut, they’re best avoided.

4. MSG

Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, is found naturally in cured meats. But it can also be added to enhance the flavor of a food. While the research on MSG is inconclusive, many people report adverse side effects from consuming it.

If you’re concerned about MSG, it’s best to choose jerky labelled as “no added MSG.”

5. Sodium

One potentially big downside of beef jerky is the sodium content. A serving of beef jerky can contain anywhere between 300 and 600 milligrams of sodium, depending on the brand and flavor.

In general, the recommendation for most people is to keep sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams per day—especially if you have heart issues. All beef jerky is going to be fairly high in salt, since it’s what helps preservative it. And most packages contain several servings, so eating a whole package can contain close to a day’s worth of sodium.

Thankfully, healthier brands are typically more mindful of sodium content. And the benefits of jerky can make it worth having as an occasional snack along with a healthy diet.

Some of the best brands that follow our healthy, junk-free jerky guidelines include Krave, Chef’s Cut, Sweetwood, and Epic Bars. And we carry a whole range of great jerky options! Shop our Jerky section here now and choose your favorites.