Healthy Food Choices: Jerky

Jerky can be a great source of protein for any person who's constantly on the go. Learn how to pick healthy jerky for you in this video.

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Watch for high sodium content
Look for healthy low fat jerky
Great source of protein

About this Author

Alice Merritt is currently the Campus Dietitian at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She has a masters degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in public health with a concentration on nutrition. Alice has worked as a registered dietician for four years, and believes that helping people reach their nutritional goals will lead to a long and healthy life.

ALICE MERRITT: Now I'm going to talk to you about jerky. This product is a nutrient dense source of meat and that's because it goes through a drying process where most of the water is removed, and it becomes dehydrated. 1 pound of meat equals about 4 ounces of jerky, so you can see that the water content is removed and it becomes much more dense. One thing that you want to be careful with jerky is because it is so concentrated; it does tend to have a higher sodium content. Healthier choices for jerky are looking for lower fat or fat-free beef jerkies. Also, you can look for leaner sources like turkey jerky or even vegetarian jerkies they make. So some things to remember about jerky is that it is a high source of protein because it's concentrated meat. You want to have it in moderation due to the high sodium content. Because of the low water content, it can be very shelf stable, so it lasts a long time. Doesn't have to be refrigerated so it can be a good snack for on the go, or for backpackers when they have long hikes, so as a good protein source. But just remember the moderation factor with the sodium and these are all healthy recommendations for jerky.

Healthy Food Choices: Jerky Video

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