How Much Protein is in Beef Jerky?

How Much Protein is in Beef Jerky?

If you want to know how much protein is in beef jerky, chances are that you take your health seriously and are looking for a protein-rich snack to help keep your diet on track. The good news is that beef jerky is high in protein, which will help you meet your daily requirements. 

But how much protein is in beef jerky exactly?

If you are looking for premium jerky online that isn’t just high in protein, but tastes amazing  - you’ve come to the right place. At Mahogany Smoked Meats, you’ll discover delicious, small-batch beef jerky and other types, such as Elk, Buffalo, Wild Boar, Fish, and Turkey! Getting your jerky fix from Mahogany Smoked Meats is the way to go!

Back to the topic at hand, though. Before we explain how beef jerky can help you meet your protein goals, allow us to discuss the importance of protein in general.

The Importance of Reaching Your Daily Protein Goals

Although not discussed often enough, protein is a building block for many of your body's systems. Protein is essential to building muscles and having healthy cartilage, skin, bones, and blood. Meeting your protein goals will allow you to live a healthier lifestyle, improve your overall body composition, maintain metabolic health, lose weight, and gain muscle.

Muscle Growth & Recovery

One mistake many people make is not realizing how critical foods high in protein are right after a workout. Although it is beneficial to have a high-protein diet, it is just as important to understand when your body needs it the most.

Depending on the person's overall diet and workout intensity, the average time for muscle recovery is 48 – 72 hours. If you are looking to speed up your recovery time, you should eat nutritious food (including items high in protein), drink a lot of water, and get adequate sleep.

Promoting Satiety

Foods high in fiber & protein, such as beef jerky, promote satiety. Satiety is just a state of feeling full and not hungry. When you feel sated, you will not try to fill yourself up with food high in calories and fat or sugary drinks. 

If you are looking for what foods to eat to promote this feeling of fullness and well-being, you should look for foods that are either high in protein or fiber. You can also invest in other snacks with high water density content. 

Aiding in Fat Loss

Protein can also aid in long-term fat loss. By filling up on foods high in protein or fiber, you will avoid unnecessary snacking on foods high in sugar and empty calories. If you are interested in fat loss, you should combine high-fiber, high-protein foods with strength and cardiovascular training with proper sleep and nutrition.

How Much Protein Do You Need Daily, Though?

When figuring out how much protein is in beef jerky, you should compare that answer to how much protein you will need daily. How much protein an individual needs will vary from person to person. This is because instead of the answer being a specific amount of grams of protein per person, it is based on body weight. For sedentary adults, it is 0.8 grams per kilogram of weight (1.76 grams per pound). 

However, active people need 30 – 50% more protein. So, if you are living an active lifestyle, you should try to get 2.3 – 2.7 grams of protein per pound of weight.

How Much Protein is in Beef Jerky?

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for…we’re finally going to discuss how much protein is in beef jerky.

Below, we’ll highlight two important considerations when evaluating the protein content of beef jerky: how much you get per serving and how much you get per bag. First, how much protein is in each beef jerky serving?

How Much Protein is in Each Beef Jerky Serving?

Do you want to know how much protein is in a bag of beef jerky? First, you need to start with how much is in a serving and then determine how many servings are in a bad.

A serving of beef jerky is 1 ounce. If you buy a single-size piece of jerky on its own, it may be slightly more (1.25 – 1.5 ounces), which is still considered 1 serving. One serving of an ounce of beef jerky will have 8 grams of protein in it.

How Much Protein is in a Bag of Beef Jerky?

The answer of how much protein is in a bag of beef jerky will depend on the bag size. Most bags of beef jerky are either 4 ounces or 8 ounces. A 4-ounce bag will have about 32 grams of protein, whereas an 8-ounce bag will have about 64 grams of protein. These answers are approximate as different ingredients and flavorings can change the overall protein total.

Is Beef Jerky a Good Source of Protein Compared to Other Types of Jerky?

If beef is not your favorite flavor, or you would like a variety of meat and fish-based jerkies to enjoy, Mahogany Smoked Meats has you covered. Here are some other flavors you can try and how they compare to beef jerky. 

  • Turkey Jerky: Turkey Jerky comes in 5 different flavors such as sweet and spice, honey, or habanero. Turkey Jerky has 13 grams of protein, 70 calories, and 1 gram of fat per serving. This makes this a great choice as it has fewer calories and almost twice as much protein as beef jerky.
  • Elk Jerky: If you want to try Elk Jerky, you can get it either black peppered or in teriyaki flavored. Elk jerky also has 13 grams of protein, 70 calories, and 0.8 grams of fat per serving. 
  • Buffalo Jerky: Buffalo flavoring makes everything better, and this includes jerky. You can get Black Peppered, teriyaki, or habanero buffalo jerky. Each 1-ounce serving will have 12 grams of protein, 97 calories, and 1 gram of fat. 
  • Wild Boar Jerky: If you want to expand your horizons to something a bit more exotic, why not try wild boar jerky? Each serving of wild boar jerky has 19 grams of protein, 90 calories, and 2 grams of fat. This has twice the fat of the other flavors but more than twice the protein. 
  • Fish Jerky: Finally, you should try king salmon fish jerky. This is an option for those cutting down on red meat or who never eat it. Fish jerky has 13 grams of protein, 85 calories, and 1.2 grams of fat per ounce.

As you can see, beef does have the lowest amount of protein but is middle of the road for calorie count at 89 calories per serving. Beef jerky has 1 gram of fat per ounce.

Other Reasons Beef Jerky is a Great Healthy Snack Choice Besides Protein Density

Even If you are considering adding more beef jerky to your diet due to the protein density, understand there are other benefits! When you eat beef jerky, you will have a low-calorie, high-lean protein snack that is also rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and folate.

The Rest of the Macros are Optimal, Too

Beef jerky is low in calories, fat, and carbs but is high in other vitamins and minerals not yet discussed. For instance, one serving of beef jerky will give you 12% of your daily vitamin B12. It also has a variety of other vital minerals, such as riboflavin, magnesium, thiamine, potassium, and copper.

Easy Snack on the Go

One of the benefits of relying on beef jerky as a high-protein snack is that it can travel with you everywhere. It can be thrown in a purse, coat pocket, briefcase, or backpack. It does not need special storage or refrigeration.

Delicious Flavor That Never Gets Old

Over the years, beef jerky has improved with the variety of meats it can be made from and the assortment of additional flavors. Unlike other snacks, you will never get sick of jerky as it comes in many flavor varieties.

Affordable Way to Meet Your Nutrition Goals

Finally, beef jerky is cost-effective. Since a serving size is only one ounce, the cost per snack is really affordable. Finding other high-protein snacks that taste like meat and don't need cooking or refrigeration in the same price range is difficult. 

Looking to Meet Your Protein Goals With Tasty, Small Batch Jerky Products?

If you are looking for small batch, delicious beef jerky for sale it is time for you to try Mahogany Smoked Meats Beef Jerky. We offer over 10 varieties of beef jerky and other types of jerky and smoked meats. 

When shopping for your jerky and smoked meats with us, you are shopping with an American company that creates their products in small batches. We’ve been perfecting our process for over 100 years, and continue to get better with each and every batch! We stand behind our quality, too. We offer 100% guaranteed satisfaction - no questions asked. With that type of history, dedication, and business model, you can not go wrong!

So - the only question now is, which variety will you try first? Either way, you’ll be meeting your daily protein goals while enjoying a delicious on-the-go snack.

Final Thoughts on How Much Protein is in Beef Jerky

You may have started off asking - is beef jerky a good source of protein? But now you know it is so much more than a means to meet your protein goals! 

Beef jerky is a low-calorie, high-protein snack appropriate for everyone, especially outdoor types or people who are active in their daily lives. 

This healthy snack alternative comes in many different flavors and sizes, so you will surely find a new favorite beef jerky, especially if you try one of the many jerky products available through Mahogany Smoked Meats.