For many, beef jerky is a go-to snack for road trips, athletic events, and when hungry. However, not all jerky is created equal. Low-sodium beef jerky, for example, is a great option for those who have to watch their sodium levels.
If you need to take care of your heart or just want to start eating a healthier kind of beef jerky, here are a few reasons you should eat low-sodium beef jerky.
1. Protein-Packed
One of the biggest reasons that many athletes and others snack on beef jerky is because it’s packed full of protein. For athletes, keeping the amount of protein in their bodies is important because it helps them develop muscle faster.
Protein is the building block for many biological functions in the body. It builds muscle, allows hair and nails to grow longer and stronger, and can help boost your energy levels.
Low-sodium beef jerky still offers that powerful punch of protein. It just also limits the amount of sodium that also enters your body.
2. Long-Lasting
Another reason many people love beef jerky is that it can last for a long time. Some people like to stock up on snacks for the week. However, when it reaches the end of the week, they might find that their snacks are suddenly no longer edible. They may have spoiled.
That isn’t typically a risk that you run into with beef jerky. It’s dried meat, so the microbes that typically exist within the meat are killed. Otherwise, those microbes cause the meat to spoil.
With their removal, your jerky can last for months, if not years. While you likely won’t have your jerky waiting around for years before you eat it, at the very least, you won’t have to worry about it spoiling on you at the end of the week.
The same goes for low-sodium beef jerky. Even though it contains less sodium, it still lasts the same amount of time as regular beef jerky.
3. Sugar
It’s common for people to believe that sugar is bad. However, a little bit of sugar isn’t a terrible thing. Different flavors like honey or chipotle can add sugar to beef jerky. Instead of being a bad thing, sugar is a good thing because it can help restore your electrolytes after a workout.
Meat doesn’t traditionally have any carbs in it. They’re not adding more carbs when they add honey or something to the meat to flavor it. Or, at least, they’re not adding in anymore to the point where it becomes unhealthy.
So, you can enjoy your low-sodium beef jerky without worrying too much about the amount of sugar that’s in it.
4. Low Sodium
The biggest perk of low sodium beef jerky is in the name. Where beef jerky can really become healthy is in how much sodium it has. Unlike sugar and carbs, sodium in beef jerky can negatively impact your health quickly.
For someone who is struggling to keep their cholesterol down or prevent sodium from clogging their veins, choosing a low sodium brand of beef jerky is essential. Too much sodium in your body can lead to heart disease, cardiac arrest, vein disease, and other cardiovascular problems.
However, a low-sodium beef jerky brand keeps the amount of sodium to a minimum. So, you can easily eat a few sticks of the jerky and be perfectly alright. With all things, moderation is key.
Yet low sodium is a healthier choice when it comes to delicious beef jerky.
- Enjoy Original beef jerky flavor in a reduced-sodium recipe.
- Add a ready-to-eat protein snack to lunch without cooking or slicing meat.
- Share the 8 oz bag or divide it into smaller packs for the week.
- Real hardwood smoking brings a deep savory flavor.
- Zero sugar and zero total carbs offer a choice for carb-conscious snackers.
- Ready-to-eat beef sticks make a convenient protein snack away from home.
- Variety pack lets you explore several flavors in one order.
- Certified kosher jerky offers an option for shoppers seeking kosher meat snacks.
- Small-batch grass-fed beef provides a chewy, ready-to-eat snack.
- Soy, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar deliver sweet and savory teriyaki flavor.
- Each serving supplies 11 grams of protein.
- Resealable half-pound bag lets you close it between snack breaks.
- Zero-sugar recipe provides a savory option for sugar-conscious snackers.
- Tender beef and natural wood smoke give a familiar jerky flavor.
- Each serving adds 14 grams of protein to a snack break.
- Very dry texture offers the firm chew of old-fashioned jerky.
- Three-ingredient recipe keeps the flavor focused on beef, salt, and pepper.
- No sugar provides a savory option for people who avoid sweet jerky.
- Hardwood smoke and spices give the beef a classic savory flavor.
- Each serving supplies 10 grams of protein.
- Half-pound bag provides multiple portions for work, lunches, or trips.
- Honey sweetness balances the savory beef and hardwood smoke.
- Each serving supplies 10 grams of protein.
- Ten-ounce bag provides several portions for lunches or snack breaks.
- Enjoy a lightly smoky, slightly spicy beef stick with no sugar.
- Each stick provides 10 grams of protein in a ready-made portion.
- Try a ten-pack before committing to a larger box.
- Half-ounce sticks make convenient small snack portions.
- Each mini stick provides 4 grams of protein with no sugar.
- Individual wrappers let you pack a few while leaving the rest sealed.
- Tender pieces suit snackers who prefer a softer jerky chew.
- Each bag supplies 33 grams of protein in a ready-to-eat snack.
- Two separate bags let you open one while keeping the other for later.
- Two flavors let you switch between classic savory beef and sweeter teriyaki.
- Each serving provides 13 grams of protein.
- Single-serving bags simplify lunch packing and snacks on the move.
- Mini half-ounce sticks make it easy to pack a small snack.
- Each stick provides 4 grams of protein with no sugar.
- Individual wrappers let you take a portion while keeping the others sealed.
- Barbecue seasoning adds a familiar savory flavor to grass-fed beef.
- Kosher certification helps shoppers identify a suitable kosher snack.
- Two separate bags let you open one while leaving the other sealed.
- Original, umami, spicy, and lemongrass flavors let you compare different styles.
- Each serving supplies 12 grams of protein.
- Resealable bags let you save part of each flavor for another snack break.
- Tender beef offers a softer chew than very dry jerky styles.
- Natural wood smoke and a touch of sweetness create a classic flavor.
- Eight-ounce bag provides multiple portions for lunches and snack breaks.
- Tamari, pineapple, and garlic balance sweet and savory teriyaki flavor.
- Each serving supplies 10 grams of protein.
- Compact bag is easy to pack for work or an outing.
- Assorted seasonings give you several flavors to rotate through.
- Certified kosher sticks offer a convenient option for kosher snack needs.
- Ten ready-made sticks simplify packing individual snacks for work or travel.
QUOTE:
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
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About the Author
Charles Joseph
In 2017, a good friend introduced me to the most amazing beef jerky I had ever tasted. And his source was from the most unexpected of places--a random guy in Thailand whom he had met while living there. Although I had been eating jerky since as far back as I could remember, I was genuinely blown away by the flavor. I realized the best beef jerky doesn't come from a store. This experience inspired me to create Beef Jerky Hub and put into writing all the things I've since learned about this amazing food. If you're interested, you can read more about my story here.