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.