16 Best Grass Fed Beef Sticks We've Tested 2024
Brandon Forder Apr 28, 2024 12:00 AM
The 23rd of September is National Snack Stick Day, a celebration of convenient snacks. Snack sticks are within the category of meat snacks, which is the fourth most popular category of salty snacks overall. Instead of pretzels and popcorn, they would rather munch on meat. Jerky is a real food in theory, but many commercially available brands contain beef from industrial farms and are packed with genetically modified organisms and artificial chemicals.
Meat sticks remind me of family camping trips and hikes through state parks on vacation. When I was a youngster, I used to love eating these beef sticks. The spices and seasonings gave them a pleasant taste. Unfortunately, the ones I consumed belonged to the category of unhealthy options.
At the various conventions I've visited over the years, I've learned about a number of new firms making meat sticks from 100% grass fed meats. The fact that many of these companies were started because their creators were frustrated by the availability of unhealthy snack sticks in stores is heartening. This pattern keeps expanding. Grass-fed sticks are no longer hard to find outside of health food stores. Last year on my way up to the Bay Area, I stopped at a gas station just off Interstate 5 in the Central Valley and found venison sticks.
Traditional foods might also include sticks made from real meat and other natural components. It's true; they employ one of the earliest known techniques for cooking meat. The practice of smoking meat sticks, which dates back to prehistoric times, demonstrates how humans have been using fire to prepare meat for consumption since their earliest days. Because fresh meat quickly went bad and attracted insects, people started drying and smoking it to extend its shelf life. Sausages may be traced back to 3100 BC in Mesopotamia, and it is possible that meat sticks themselves descended from the sausage.
Many of these new grass fed sticks use more gamey animals like bison, deer, and elk for their smoked meats and sausages, just as ancient societies and civilizations used all kinds of wild animals. To have so many grass-fed alternatives available has made it so that I can once again enjoy meat sticks.
Here is a list of the greatest grass fed beef sticks, in alphabetical order:
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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ingredients
We didn't include any brands of jerky that included artificial substances like MSG or synthetic nitrites.
Ingredient Quality
In order to improve the jerky's flavor, several manufacturers use lower quality meats and add salt or sugar. Selecting a higher-quality jerky will provide you with additional nutrients. In terms of protein sources, you should aim for grass-fed beef and free-range, antibiotic-free chicken.
Serving Size
Be aware that even a modest bag of jerky can provide more than one person with a satisfying snack. So, it's simple to consume a whole day's worth of salt in a single meal. How many portions you choose depends on how much sodium, calories, and protein you require.
Sodium
Try to find jerky that has a salt content of 300 milligrams or less per serving. Over 600 milligrams of sodium per serving has been found in certain brands of jerky, which is equivalent to nearly a fourth of the daily recommended consumption for sodium.
Sugar
Think about how much sugar is in your jerky along with the sodium content. Sugar and salt work together to make tasty, addictive foods that you can't stop eating. Always check the label to discover what kind of sweetener is used.
Select a jerky with less added sugar if you're trying to keep your blood sugar in check. See if you can find something with no more than 5 grams of added sugar.
Protein
We did favor flavors with higher protein levels, although this was less of a factor because all jerky is normally rich in protein.
Beef source
Brands that employ grass-fed, organic, hormone-free beef in their jerky tend to be the healthiest options. When compared to grain-fed beef, the amount of heart-healthy omega-3s and anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in this meat is five times higher.
Texture
The final output of jerky-making will vary according to the drying techniques employed. It's possible to find jerky with a soft, chewy texture, or one that's purposefully created to be rough and dry.
Purchasing the incorrect variety can ruin a snack for someone with a certain textural preference. Check out the "traditional" or "old-fashioned." sections of grocery stores for dried jerky. Search for "soft" or "tender." for jerky that is chewier and more tender to the bite.
Flavor
There is a jerky out there for every imaginable taste. You can discover savory tastes prepared with herbs, spices, and seasonings, sweet flavors like honey pepper, and spicy ones made with hot peppers like the Carolina Reaper—the hottest pepper on Earth—in addition to conventional jerky recipes that let the flavor of the meat shine through. To narrow down your options, it's ideal to do a taste test or to try a jerky subscription so you may try a few different kinds at once.
What is the best meat for jerky?
Meats including beef, hog, and lamb are commonly used to make jerky. While personal taste dictates which meat you like, it's best to steer clear of processed foods that feature low-quality meats because these foods often rely on salt or sugar to mask their bland flavor.
Why do some people say beef jerky is bad for you?
The rich protein and satiating qualities of beef jerky are offset by the high salt content of the food. Adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and just one serving of beef jerky can provide 15 to 25 percent of that amount.
The US dietary guidelines for 2020–2025 recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories for most people. Beef jerky is a processed meat and may include saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 7% of total caloric consumption, which equates to around 13 grams of saturated fat per day if you consume 2,000 calories per day.
Some brands of jerky also have artificial nitrates added to them, which are best avoided by anyone concerned about cancer prevention.
Can you eat beef jerky while pregnant?
When pregnant, it's best to avoid dried and cured meats, which are often cooked at lower temperatures and may not achieve a enough interior temperature to kill harmful pathogens. Pregnancy and infant health are vulnerable to pathogens like E. coli that can be found in food. A vegan product, such as mushroom jerky, would be fine to eat.
Also, people expecting a child with hypertension may want to limit their intake of beef jerky because of its high sodium content. High salt diets also increase the risk of water retention and swelling, which can be especially problematic for pregnant women. Sodium intakes of 2,300 milligrams per day or fewer are suggested for healthy adults, including pregnant women.
If you have certain dietary requirements or limits, it's important to talk to a doctor.
Grass-fed beef sticks are clearly the healthier option when compared to grain-fed beef sticks. Consumption of grass-fed beef sticks has been linked to a decreased risk of food-borne illness, including E. coli and other bacterial infections. Beef from grain-fed cattle is more likely to have bacteria than beef from grass-fed cattle since the former are more likely to have been exposed to antibacterial drugs.
With this newfound understanding, you can confidently say that grass-fed beef sticks are well worth the investment.
Best wishes on your shopping expedition.
