Beef jerky

Itisibigj39
Itisibigj39 Posts: 196 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I love beef jerky but was ready that some aren't as healthy as you think...my question is what "bad" ingredients should I be looking out for in this?

Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Why are they not healthy? I love jerky.
  • KeysBumII
    KeysBumII Posts: 3 Member
    I make my own. I control the ingredients. And it saves a lot of money.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    Maybe sodium?

    Is jerky considered "processed" meat, so maybe they were talking about nitrates?

    I have no idea :) I think of it as a good snack.
  • logosolos
    logosolos Posts: 2 Member
    Yeah the sodium can be high but if you don't have a problem with high blood pressure, you're probably okay. Sodium can also make you retain water.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You should look out for any ingredient you have to look out for in any food.
  • LillysMomma09
    LillysMomma09 Posts: 272 Member
    I love jerky!! But it always makes me gain because of the sodium. So I only indulge on homemade deer jerky when it's in season. :smile:
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    whether or not a food is "healthy" really depends on the context of the rest of your diet. If you're not getting too much sodium from other sources and it's not putting you over on your calories, I wouldn't worry about it.
  • Itisibigj39
    Itisibigj39 Posts: 196 Member
    Thanks for the replies
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    If you're just getting the plain jerky, it's mostly the nitrates and the salt that you have to watch out for. In flavored varieties, more additives are often used, like soy, maltodextrin, and added sugar.

    I like EPIC bars. 100-200 calories/bar, around 250-350 milligrams sodium, and they all use humanely-raised meat. They usually mix in dried fruit and nuts, too, which make for interesting flavored and textures.
  • Hope_bay74
    Hope_bay74 Posts: 273 Member
    Try th Krave brand- healthier and yummy flavours
  • Spencerport
    Spencerport Posts: 270 Member
    KeysBumII wrote: »
    I make my own. I control the ingredients. And it saves a lot of money.

    Absolutely! I user a smoker to create my beef jerky. I know people who make jerky with dehydrators and in their oven. 1 piece of my jerky is ~60 calories and doesn't have nearly as much salt as Jack Links or Krave.
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    we make our own as many of the store processed ones have sugar as the 2nd or 3rd ingredient and a ton of sodium and those are things i have to personally watch due to health reasons. it really depends on what your dietary goals are.

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