Is Beef Jerky Keto?

If you follow a keto diet or have been thinking about starting one, you may be wondering what your options can be on this high-protein, low-carb diet. Instead of grabbing carb- and sugar-loaded snacks, you want to pack yourself snacks that fit within the keto framework, and you may be wondering whether beef jerky can be a part of your keto-friendly way of life.

Although you may see a lot of folks discussing their beef jerky as the perfect keto snack, if you follow the keto lifestyle strictly, you will discover that there is some sugar in beef jerky that disqualifies it as keto friendly. However, you can still find great-tasting meat snacks that fit the bill without the concern with sugar since Righteous Felon’s entire line of biltong is keto friendly.

While you should always first ask your doctor’s advice before you make decisions about your health and diet, both beef jerky and biltong can be a healthy addition to your snack routine, but if you’re wondering how these differ, this post helps you understand why biltong but not beef jerky might be included in a keto-friendly lifestyle.

Understanding the Keto Diet and Beef Jerky

When people follow a keto lifestyle, they eat a low-carbohydrate diet in favor of fats and proteins. Carbohydrates typically make up less than 10% of their daily intake of food, so individuals on this diet closely monitor the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in all the food they eat.

People eating a keto diet drastically reduce their carbs to put their bodies into a state of ketosis, which is a metabolic state, to burn fat more efficiently. Because there are several different types of keto diets, from carb cycling keto diets to standard versions, how you set up your carb intake may differ. However, for the most part, because most versions of beef jerky have carbs, those on a keto diet should instead opt for biltong to fulfill their high-protein snack needs.

Beef jerky is an excellent lean protein source and can be a healthy part of anyone’s eating, but if you’re concerned about adding too many carbs to your total daily intake, biltong may be a better option. Beef jerky typically sits in marinades with a slight amount of added sugar before undergoing the drying process. Biltong, on the other hand, is air-dried without the added sugar, so it is completely sugar-free. While both snacks rank high in lean protein, making them excellent sources of nutrition, only biltong can be used in a keto diet.

Although some may not be familiar with the differences between biltong and beef jerky, you can consider biltong the keto-friendly version of beef jerky. The texture and flavor of biltong differs from beef jerky because of their different drying and production processes, but both are delicious forms of lean protein. It’s just the slight difference of one having sugar—beef jerky—and one not—biltong—that makes biltong the keto favorite.

Incorporating Biltong into Your Keto Diet

When you’re thinking about snacks and following a diet that restricts your carbs, you may think your snack options are limited. Of course, with packaged snacks like chips and cookies so high in carbs, you definitely have to steer clear of those, but if you’re looking for a healthier option, regardless of your diet of choice, the lean protein of biltong fits in perfectly.

Of course, biltong is a packaged meat snack, perfect for dropping into your bag or vehicle to take along with you wherever you go. A perfect standalone, on-the-go snack, you can use biltong as part of a keto-friendly diet to fill in the snack gaps throughout the day, enjoy it as a post-workout snack, and stow some when you take off on a road trip, camp, or travel anywhere.

However, while biltong is perfectly packaged to enjoy on the go, you aren’t limited to simply munching on biltong. Any successful diet plan includes variety, and while we don’t think you’ll ever get tired of the flavor and texture of our biltong, we understand how nice it is to prepare your snack in a variety of ways. Plus, if you’re sharing with others, it’s great to show them how you can use a variety of preparations with biltong and stay on a healthy eating regimen.

When you want to enjoy biltong in different ways for your keto diet, try these preparations:

• Biltong snack mix: Whether you’re having friends over for the big game, or want a good mix at a holiday gathering, you can use any of our biltong flavor combinations to create a delicious snack mix. Simply use seasoned butter by melting butter with other spices that complement your biltong. Then toss nuts and pork rinds in the seasoned butter, lay out on parchment, and bake at a low temperature in the oven. You can then add small pieces of biltong to the mixture when it cools for a keto-friendly snack mix.
• Charcuterie board: Feature biltong on your charcuterie board with other varieties of meat, cheese, and nuts. You can even do single-serve charcuterie preparations to take to work, the gym, or when traveling. Simply take your charcuterie staples, like biltong, cheese, and nuts, and put them together in an airtight container for an on-the-go charcuterie experience.
• Biltong cheese ball: Take your favorite cheeseball recipe and incorporate an accompanying flavor of biltong. You can add bits of biltong to the mix, and then roll the finished cheese ball in more biltong pieces to cover the entire ball. This makes a perfect centerpiece for a charcuterie board, appetizer table, or holiday party.

Although beef jerky may not work for your keto diet, the entire line of biltong from Righteous Felon will fit your keto needs. You can trust that this biltong not is sugar-free but also offers a flavor and texture so good you’ll want it for a stand-alone snack as well as a basis for other preparations to share with friends.