Eating beef jerky/steak strips for protein? Too high in sugar?

NWalerys1

Right now my goals are to gain muscle while maintaining weight. I want to get "toned" and reduce my BF%, which is currently at about 21%. I weigh 120 pounds (ignore the goals that MFP says). I have a weight training regimen that I started this week (as well as a tiny bit of cardio added in) that my personal trainer friend designed for me. My diet is in check and going great. I aim for about 100-120g of protein per day. But since I go to a boarding school, the cafeteria tries to cheat us of our protein (by just serving carbs really) so for protein, I either eat protein bars, egg whites, sometimes peanuts, and take advantage whenever they actually serve us chicken in the cafeteria, or some form of decently lean protein.
So I am looking for new protein sources. I just bought these Kirkland Steak Strips and they are a great source of protein, but it seems that they are really high in added sugar…
The nutrition facts are as follows:
1oz has 60 calories. 9g of protein per serving. 4g of sugar per serving… That is pretty high… I would want to eat probably 3 to 4 servings per day… Is this okay or not? That is like 16g of added sugars for those 36g of protein… Can I eat these steak strips or are they too high in added sugar in order for me to reach my fitness goals of getting "toned"?

Next time I will buy beef jerky which is 1oz has 80 calories. 14g of protein per serving. 5g of sugar per serving.

FredDoyle

Make your own jerky in the oven with no sugar added if you want.
I use a dehydrator because I want lower sodium in mine but I've made it in the oven.
I usually use flank steak but you can use anything, just cut out the fat because that is what goes rancid quickly.
Soak in your marinade over night, put straight on the rack in the oven at 135-150F with a drip pan below. Check once in a while for doneness. Keep in fridge in sealed container for longest shelf life.

dbmata

I would be concerned about salt content and cost with store bought. I make my own in my smoker, almost no sugar in my teriyaki marinade, and a low sodium soy sauce.

SueInAz

Actually, 4g of sugar in store bought beef jerky is pretty good. I've seen some brands with as much as 9g of carbs in a 1 ounce serving. As long as you don't have to worry about the amount of sodium that's in most beef jerky then there's nothing wrong with using it as a protein source. Since you have access to Costco you might look into just buying protein powder, though. They carry a couple of good brands.

What exactly do you mean by "toned"? I have to admit that word makes me grind my teeth; it doesn't mean anything useful. Are you looking for muscle definition that comes with a lower percentage of body fat? That comes simply from losing fat and water, not from eating less sugar. The sugar in beef jerky isn't going to affect that one way or the other as long as you are meeting your calorie goals to lose the fat.

dbmata

toned doesn't mean anything.

ksy1969

So, what is wrong with the carbs (sugar) in the jerky? Carbs is a macro nutrient that needs to be met every day as well. In fact on workout days, I have read from several reputable sources you should have more focus on carbs.

To much over thinking. Just get your macro's in and move on.

FYI, that is all sugar is, it is a carbohydrate. That is all.

I_Will_End_You

Sugar isn't going to stop you from looking "toned".