Published August 10, 2015

Time to Get On the Beef Jerky Bandwagon

Beef jerky has fallen victim to an unfortunate stereotype over the years as an unhealthy junk food, and it’s just not true. In fact, beef jerky has become beloved by healthy eaters in recent years as the increased consumption detailed in this post from Fast Casual shows. Apparently, beef jerky consumption and sales have risen by at least 18% in the last five years. And it’s not just beef jerky that’s quickly rising in popularity: people are getting on board with all kinds of dried, salted meat varieties, from fishier options like salmon, to lesser-used (but no less delicious) meats like buffalo and bison. As with most things trendy, the younger demographics are the ones who can’t stop gobbling up jerky; 18-24 year-olds are among the age group most interested in mid-day snacking, and beef jerky is a perfect, protein rich option for that three o’clock slump at the office. With up to 13 grams of protein in just one ounce of meaty jerky, we can’t figure out how it got that unhealthy stigma it once had. We wonder if restaurants will start picking up on this meat-eating trend and incorporating some gourmet varieties of jerky in their meat-friendly dishes.

Read the full article here: Consumers Gobbling Up Meat Snacks, Beef Seeing Stiff Competition