Getting Jerky With It!

Yesterday my son expressed interest in eating beef jerky.  I don't know what ignited this sudden interest but I have to take these opportunities when I get them as he eats such a small variety of food.

It occurred to me that I have never tried any kind of jerky mainly because most of the commercial brands are loaded with garbage additives and lots of salt.  As a kid I had no interest in eating dehydrated beef as a snack so jerky has remained off my diet.  Before dismissing the idea and telling my son that it was not healthy, I thought I would look to see if there is a healthier beef jerky made with grass fed beef and perhaps lower salt.  Sure enough there is and here is what I found...

My first find was Steve's Original which I had stumbled upon before as it is popular on Facebook with the Crossfit crowd who adhere to the Paleo diet.  Steve's Original sell these Paleokits - one of which includes grass fed beef jerky, dried berries and nuts for a very nutritious snack.  A small Paleokit can be a snack while a large can be a meal replacement - perfect for a long hike or adventure.  I was going to try the grass fed Paleokit but they are currently out of stock.  I will keep this on my radar and will report back once I get my hands on one.

My next find was Local Harvest who offer 8oz. packages of grass fed beef jerky in four different flavors including a low salt variety - they must have read my mind!  I think that will be worth a try.

Other notable mentions:
Grass Fed Traditions - They sell all kinds of grass fed bison products including jerky.
Black Wing Organic Meats - They have organic beef and buffalo jerky.
Mountain America Jerky - This site is definitely worth a look.  They offer exotic meats for their jerky in addition to beef and buffalo including vennison, turkey and elk. They also claim their jerky has no MSG or Nitrites and half the salt of commercial manufacturers but does not appear to be grass fed as there is no mention of it on their site.

The price of natural jerky makes it rather prohibitive to be a regular snack so I don't think I will be buying it too often.  Afterall, it is still quality beef - dehydrated or not - and good beef isn't cheap!  If you know of another site to get healthy jerky let me know and if you tried any of these brands I welcome your comments and recommendations.

Birthday Marketing and Anti-Aging - CoQ10 and Ubiquinol

I suppose the best possible day to advertise for anti-aging products would be on a birthday when you are most tuned in to your age. I got an email yesterday, my birthday, about CoQ10 and Ubiquinol from iHerb.com and did some reading and watching. Here is a video with Peggy Fleming who is 62 now talking about it. I don't know how old she is in this video but she looks fantastic even if this video was made a few years ago.



If anti-aging is on your mind, here is iHerb.com's page on CoQ10 and Ubiquinol.  It has lots of good videos and information as well as product listings and  reviews.  Should you decide to buy be sure to use KEN707 and get $5 off your first order.  iHerb.com has a tremendous selection and great prices on vitamins and supplements - way better than you would get at your local stores and free shipping on orders over $40. 

A Real Power Lunch!

With it being my birthday I thought I would treat myself to one of my favorite lunches.  I worked out just prior to this meal.  I usually work out pre-breakfast early in the morning but today I had to run some errands.  This lunch is easy to throw together and is packed with good fats and lots of protein.  There is a small amount of good carbs as well.  There are only 5 ingredients:

1 pre-shaped grass fed bison burger from Earth Fare (Earth Fare is like North Carolina's version of Whole Foods)

1 avocado (or in this case a packet of spicy Wholly Guacamole).  I used premade guacamole today as the avocados in the local markets have been disappointing lately.

1 generous slathering of Gator Sauce.  Gator sauce by Gator Hammock is my favorite sauce.  You can use your own sauce but make sure it is not loaded with MSG, artificial colors and preservatives.  Gator sauce, while not organic uses only natural ingredients.  Visit their site here.  Btw, if you love mustard, their Swamp Mustard is awesome as well.  I have been using Gator sauce for many years now and never get tired of it.  I always order it directly from Gator Hammock by the case so I always have a good supply of it.

1 heaping tablespoon of hemp seed nut.  I have touted the benefits of hemp seed nuts all over this blog.  See my previous post on where and how to buy it.

1 good size serving of organic baby lettuce

If you never had a bison burger, it has less fat and calories than a regular hamburger and more protein.  It tastes just as good to me - especially with the gator sauce.  Here is good article on bison compared to other meats.

What I do is cook the bison burger in my tabletop convection oven - as I would a regular burger.  Place a healthy amount of baby lettuce on the bottom of the plate then put the burger on top of the lettuce and slather the burger with my gator sauce, add the hemp seed nut on top and then add the guacamole.  Then it is time to chow down.  This is what mine looked like:

Yes I know it will not win any culinary awards for presentation but man that was one good lunch.  For those of you watching your weight go with the recommended serving sizes for bison and guacamole - and easy on the sauce.  The serving sizes I used were for someone who just had a very intense workout.  Remember to eat slow and chew your food.  I didn't take this advice and inhaled it - I couldn't resist.  Heck, it's my birthday and I could do what I want - at least for today!  I will have this photo so I can fondly remember it.  **Sigh**