Where’s the beef? Beef jerky is a great way to enjoy meat and the health benefits of protein, without worrying about the unfortunate health side effects of pan-fried or barbequed meats.
Beef jerky provides similar nutrient and vitamin content as other cuts of red meat, but with reduced fat. The preparation process for beef jerky includes removing excess fat by first trimming the beef. Jerky makes a great snack on the go, but since it can be rather expensive to purchase from a store, we recommend investing in a meat dehydrator for your kitchen at home. Plus, when you’re making your own jerky you can get creative with the flavouring.
Benefits of Beef Jerky:
High Protein Content: As with any red meat, beef jerky is a powerful source of protein. A 1 oz serving of beef jerky typically offers 12 to 15g of protein.
Quality Protein: Not only is there a high quantity of it, but the protein you get from a cut of beef jerky is also high in quality. There are nine essential amino acids that the human body does not naturally produce, and red meat contains all nine of these.
Vitamins & Minerals: The body does not produce its own vitamins or minerals, so it’s necessary to get them through the foods we eat. Minerals help promote a healthy metabolism and beef jerky contains a high supply of zinc, phosphorous, and iron. There are also a fair amount of vitamins in beef jerky, including: vitamin K, niacin, vitamin B-6 and B-12. However, it is not particularly high in any one vitamin in particular.
Low in Fat: The main health benefit that separates dehydrated beef jerky from other forms of red meat is the low fat content. One serving of store-bought beef jerky generally contains only about 1g of fat. There is no saturated or trans fat in beef jerky.
Main Drawback: Although beef jerky offers many different nutritional benefits, it is unfortunately high in sodium. A single serving of beef jerky contains about 25% of the daily recommended allowance for sodium.
