28-Days-to-Lean Meal Plan
With the right plan and the right discipline, you can get seriously shredded in just 28 days.
Read articleIt’s portable, you can buy it anywhere, and it’s super high in protein, with nine grams (19% of daily value in a 2,000-calorie diet) in a mere one-ounce serving.
No, beef jerky isn’t one of those “superfoods” you can eat with reckless abandon—most is relatively high in sodium (26% of DV) and fat content (seven grams of fat, three grams of saturated fat)—both of which can lead to high blood pressure. And like a lot of snacks, it’s easy to eat more than that suggested serving size.
Still, there’s no reason to write off beef jerky. Compared to other snacks you can get at a gas station, beef jerky comes out light years ahead in terms of protein and fat content, plus it contains vitamins and minerals like zinc (11%), which helps maintain healthy cardiovascular cells; and iron (8%), which is vital for muscle contractions.
Ruth Frechman, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests trying some beef jerky with fruit as a whole-food postworkout meal: The fruit carbs complete the picture and help halt the catabolic response.
Where’s the Beef? Get a leaner cut of jerky from grass-fed cows, which have more omega-3 fats than grain-fed.