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The honest verdict

Is Jack Link's Original Beef Jerky Actually Healthy?

Closer to candy-glazed meat than it looks. The protein is real, but an ounce also carries 6g of added sugar and a hefty dose of sodium — the sweet marinade is doing a lot of the flavor work that smoke should be doing.

The numbers, per 1 oz (28g)

Calories80
Protein10g
Sugar6g
Carbs7g
Fat1g
Fiber0g
SavoryUmamiSaltySweetChewy

If you love it, try these instead

Same craving, better numbers. Every product below is in our verified catalog.

#1
Chomps

Original Beef Sticks

Grass-fed beef stick with 10g of protein and zero sugar.

See the numbers
Per servingSwapJack Link's
Protein10g10g
Sugar0g6g
Calories10080
  • 0g sugar vs 6g
  • grass-fed beef
  • no nitrites
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#2
Country Archer

Beef Jerky - Original

Grass-fed jerky with 12g protein and 1g fat — the anti-Slim-Jim.

See the numbers
Per servingSwapJack Link's
Protein12g10g
Sugar5g6g
Calories8080
  • 12g protein
  • less sugar
  • short clean label
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#3
EPIC Provisions

Beef Sea Salt + Pepper Bar

A whole-food meat bar: grass-fed beef, sea salt, pepper — 11g protein, 0g sugar.

See the numbers
Per servingSwapJack Link's
Protein11g10g
Sugar0g6g
Calories13080
  • whole-food bar
  • 0g sugar
  • 11g protein
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Full comparison + DIY recipe for Jack Link's Original Beef Jerky →