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In the wide world of snacks, nothing has made an impact quite like beef jerky. For years, these delightful meat alternatives have captured the hearts of many for their taste and overall convenience. It’s become a top choice for on-the-go individuals looking for a quick protein fix, from employees to travelers. Plus, it has an incredibly long shelf life compared to fresh meat, making it an ideal ingredient for different meals at home.
Many beef jerky lovers stock their shelves by buying their products in bulk. Since beef jerky has a long shelf life, stocking up is an excellent idea to provide snacks for everyone in the family for a long time. Plus, it’s also more cost-efficient than buying individual bags.
When buying your beef jerky in bulk for the first time, it’s best that you know more about the brand you’re buying from. This buying guide below will help you determine if your desired brand is right for you.
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Factors To Consider When Purchasing Beef Jerky
While taste is crucial when buying beef jerky, there are other factors you must consider to ensure quality. Aside from excellent taste, the ideal brand must provide the following elements to its customers.
Flavor Variety
Modern beef jerky offers a variety of flavors, ranging from spicy and sweet to everything else that provides a particular twist to the classic snack. That means your ideal brand must offer many flavors beyond the original taste. They must provide excellent alternatives while allowing you to discover a new taste you never thought you’d see in beef jerky. Flavor varieties will also allow you to switch up bags so you don’t get tired of one flavor or beef jerky as a whole.
Sustainability
Many are unaware that meat, especially beef, creates twice as much pollution as growing plant-based foods. For farmers to nourish cows, they must use a significant amount of land to raise them and grow the crops that feed them. Unfortunately, this whole process contributes to the growing harm of global warming. As the demand for beef grows, the need for more land rises, creating a vicious cycle that significantly harms the environment.
Quality beef jerky providers must understand the environmental risks of growing cows. That’s why they prioritize sourcing their meat through sustainable practices. Their products must be manufactured with a green initiative to reduce the ongoing cycle of overgrazing lands to grow more cows.
Nutrition Facts
Beef jerky is a known high source of protein. Aside from that, these snacks contain various nutrients that provide many health benefits to a person’s body. These include boosting iron intake and potentially supporting the immune system.
You can check how nutritious your desired brand is by comparing it to others. See if they provide the same level of protein and other nutrients. If they do, another way to distinguish them is by their sodium content. Excess sodium intake could significantly affect a person’s health. That’s why you must avoid beef jerky products that contain too much of it.
Another way to tell if a beef jerky manufacturer offers the proper nutrients is by looking at their other products. Doing so will help you gauge how committed the brand is to providing healthy snacks. For instance, beef sticks are often sold together with beef jerky. Check these products out and see if they have at least nearly the same nutritional value. Ideally, beef jerky stick calories must provide the same health benefits as classic beef jerky.
Pricing
Always compare prices when shopping for beef jerky. The best way to do that is by conducting thorough research. Identify the standard price point for these products and determine which brand offers the best bang for your buck.
You might have to pay more if you want high-quality products made from sustainable meat with no preservatives. However, that doesn’t mean that all expensive beef jerky brands offer the same quality.
Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is widely available today on social media or any review sites. Start by looking at your desired brand and seeing what people online say about it. Then, look for lists that enumerate the best options today. You can also ask around among fellow beef jerky lovers about the brands they use. Once you’ve accumulated enough information, determine the common brand mentioned and maybe consider it for your first purchase.
Always remember that customer reviews are subjective. However, if you find more good feedback about your preferred brand than bad, that’s already considered quality.
Discover the Best Beef Jerky Product
Choosing the proper beef jerky brand is about more than just taste. It can also be about eating healthy and reducing your carbon footprint. So if you’re buying for the first time, consider the abovementioned factors until you find the best one for you and your family.