Is beef jerky good for you or not?

Asked by elbanditoroso (33137

) October 13th, 2014

I was at Trader Joe’s yesterday and bought some Beef Jerky – first time in probably 10 years.

The package says High Protein / Low Fat – no preservatives, no nitrites, no MSG. Nothing artificial, no hormones, etc. It has 1g of fat. 11g protein. The only ‘bad’ thing is 270mg sodium. But that’s not all that much.

I remember when Jerky was considered “really bad” for you – maybe 20 years ago. So I stopped snacking on it.

What is it considered today? Is jerky reasonably healthy? It seems to give reasonable levels of protein – better that a lot of candy bars.

What’s your take – is it safe to snack on Beef Jerky?

beef jerky

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6 Answers

It is certainly not healthy like a apple is. It also isn’t nearly as bad as Arbys. I personally wouldn’t consider jerky consumption a problem. But I make and eat a ton of it.

johnpowell (17881

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No nitrates? That sounds very unlikely. Does it actually say that on the label?

dappled_leaves (15893

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It’s not as bad as you may think. Nitrates are not even as bad as you may think. I love the stuff.

ARE_you_kidding_me (20021

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@dappled_leaves – No Nitrites – right on the label. (doesn’t say anything about nitrates, however)

elbanditoroso (33137

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The first mistake is thinking there are “good” foods and “bad” foods. No food is “bad” in moderation. Beef jerky is a perfectly good snack and can easily fit into a well-balanced diet. The term “healthy” doesn’t really mean much when it comes to individual food items.

livelaughlove21 (15724

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