Jerky was hot this past weekend at Natural Products Expo East (the leading trade show on the East Coast in the natural, organic and healthy products industry). And I was thrilled to see so many varieties since my clients are often looking for shelf stable, portable, higher protein, healthy, TSA-approved (you can travel with it) snacks. If you are looking for a healthier version of jerky, check out these finds from the Expo:
KRAVE is a small-batch producer of all-natural, gluten free, artisanal jerky marinated and baked to lock in moisture. KRAVE’s well-seasoned meat is braised first, utilizing the “low & slow” method to result in its signature moist and tender texture. KRAVE’s wide selection of innovative flavors includes basil citrus and lemon garlic (turkey); chili lime, chipotle, garlic chili pepper and pineapple orange (beef); grilled sweet teriyaki and black cherry barbecue (pork). Check out their Store Locator to find out which grocery stores near you carry KRAVE.
The New Primal greeted me at their fantastic booth like they did with every customer – showing their appreciation that you stopped by to check out their jerky (in the new products section at Expo East). Their jerky comes from grass-fed beef, marinated and smoked to perfection. The founder, Jason, started in his own backyard, fine-tuning his jerky until it was ready for store sheaves. Because The New Primal specializes in artisanal jerky that contains no nitrates, preservatives or MSG and their original beef has just 1 gram of sugar per serving. It comes in Jerky and Spicy and perhaps best of all you can find it in a store near you.
Golden Valley Natural wants you to taste the Flavor of the West with their natural, gluten free, high quality beef, buffalo and turkey jerky. They come in Teriyaki, Bar-B-Que, Black Pepper, Sweet N’ Spicy and Original. Purchase online only right now.
Country Archer starts with extra-lean beef and adds fresh, high quality ingredients like chili peppers, pineapple juice, ginger and tamarind. No artificial ingredients or preservatives. They carry Hot, Sweet & Spicy, Peppered, Beef Teriyaki and Turkey Teriyaki. This brand is in many stores on the west coast, some in Canada and a sprinkling in the northeast (PA on up). For retailers, click here.
Fusion Jerky is gluten free, preservative free, contains no artificial ingredients, is and is all natural. Order these flavors online: Basil Citrus Beef, Chipotle Lime Beef, Basil Citrus Chicken, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Garlic Jalapeño Pork, Island Teriyaki Pork, Chili Basil Turkey, Rosemary Citrus Turkey. The nutrition information is listed for each flavor if you go under “shop” at the top, scroll down and click on the flavor under “Online Store” (click on the arrows at the top on the left to increase the size of the nutrition label to make it bigger).
Triple-R-Farms features grass-fed Highland beef jerky (grass-fed means less saturated fat). Triple-R-Farms flavors include Chesapeake Bay with Coffee Beef Jerky, Chesapeake Bay Beef Jerky, Red Hot Pepper with Coffee Beef Jerky, Red Hot Pepper Beef Jerky, Beef Jerky with Coffee. They need both the nutrition information and a store locator (or some information regarding where you can find it), on their website. Props for the Chesapeake flavor!