Jerky Is a Protein Snack and a Salt Lick at the Same Time.

The one-line verdict: jerky's protein is real, and so is its sodium problem. It's concentrated lean meat, so it delivers a genuine 7–16g of protein a serving — but curing and flavoring load on 240–600mg of salt, and that one dimension caps the whole aisle. The best, Stryve Original Beef Biltong, Original (B- 74), earns the salt back with high protein and no sugar; the worst, Slim Jim Original Snack Sticks (C- 57), doesn't.

The receipts: jerky & meat sticks, ranked by sodium

Pulled live from the catalog, saltiest first. Read the protein and sugar columns alongside it — that's what separates the B- from the C-.

Old Trapper Old Fashioned Beef Jerky, Old Fashioned — 600mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (67) · 11g protein · sugar 5g
Jack Link's Premium Cuts Beef Jerky Original Hickory Smokehouse — 540mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (65) · 12g protein · sugar 5g
Slim Jim Original Snack Sticks — 530mg sodium · Labelgrade C- (57) · 6g protein · sugar 0.998g
Tillamook Old Fashioned Beef Jerky, Old Fashioned — 520mg sodium · Labelgrade C (63) · 10g protein · sugar 7g
Stryve Original Beef Biltong, Original — 430mg sodium · Labelgrade B- (74) · 16g protein · sugar 0g
Krave Pork Jerky, Black Cherry Barbecue — 320mg sodium · Labelgrade C (64) · 9g protein · sugar 9g
Jack Link'S Jack Link'S, Teriyaki Beef Jerky — 300mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (68) · 7g protein · sugar 3g
Chomps Original Beef Sticks — 290mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (67) · 9g protein · sugar 0g
Country Archer Country Archer, Beef Jerky, Original, Original — 280mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (65) · 7g protein · sugar 4g
Field Trip Original Meat Stick — 240mg sodium · Labelgrade C+ (65) · 8g protein · sugar 3g

Every score traces to the product's USDA-sourced label. Sort foods by sodium yourself in the filterable explorer →

The protein is real — that's why it's not a C across the board

Give jerky its due: unlike most salty snacks, it actually brings the one thing the grade most rewards. Drying concentrates the meat, so a serving carries real protein with very little carbohydrate — a profile that genuinely earns points and lifts the best entries to a B-. That's the difference between jerky and the chip aisle: a bag of chips has nothing on the good side of the ledger, while jerky shows up with a strong protein number to offset its sodium. So this isn't a takedown of jerky. It's a map of which versions spend their protein advantage wisely and which give it away.

What separates the B- from the C-

Three things move a jerky down the list, and the worst entries collect all three:

Low protein from emulsified meat. A true jerky or biltong is dried muscle, all lean protein. A "snack stick" like Slim Jim is mechanically-separated, emulsified meat — less protein (~6g), more added fat — so it forfeits jerky's whole advantage and adds saturated fat on top.
Added sugar. Teriyaki, honey, and "black cherry" style jerkies bolt on 5–9g of sugar, turning a savory protein snack into a sweet one and costing points on a dimension plain jerky aces (0g).
Sodium, always. Every entry pays here — it's unavoidable in cured meat — but the cleaner ones keep it nearer 250–300mg while the classics push 500–600mg.

The top of the list does the opposite: a plain, high-protein biltong is just beef and salt — 16g of protein, 0g of sugar, the lowest sodium it can manage — so its protein carries the grade and there's no sugar or added fat dragging it back. Beef and salt, nothing else, is the whole recipe for a good one.

The honest caveat

Jerky is a genuinely useful snack — shelf-stable, no refrigeration, real protein in a pocket-sized bag, which is hard to beat for travel or a between-meals top-up. The point isn't to avoid it; it's to buy the right version and respect the salt. Pick the plain, high-protein, low-sugar option, and remember the sodium adds up fast if a serving becomes a whole bag. A C- jerky isn't poison — it's a salty, fatty, low-protein version of a snack that has a much better version one shelf over. Read the protein, sugar, and sodium lines and you'll spot it instantly; the full weighting is on the methodology page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is beef jerky healthy?

It's a real high-protein snack with one real problem: salt. Jerky is concentrated lean meat, so it delivers a genuine 7–16g of protein a serving — which is why the best ones reach a B-. But curing and flavoring it loads on sodium, typically 240–600mg per small serving, and that single dimension caps the whole category. So "healthy" depends on the version: a plain, high-protein biltong with nothing added earns its salt back; a low-protein, sweetened, or fatty stick doesn't. Jerky is a protein snack and a salt lick at the same time — the brand decides which one dominates.

Why is jerky so high in sodium?

Salt is fundamental to how jerky is made, not just a flavoring. Curing meat with salt draws out moisture and preserves it, which is the entire point of jerky, and then seasonings and soy-based marinades pile on more. The result is one of the saltiest snack categories in the store: even the leaner, cleaner sticks land around 250–300mg a serving, and the classic jerkies push 500–600mg. If you eat a couple of servings — easy to do from a big bag — you're into "most of a meal's sodium" territory from a snack.

What's the healthiest jerky or meat stick?

Look for high protein, no added sugar, and the lowest sodium you can find — in that order. The standouts are plain, single-ingredient-style biltongs and sticks: lots of protein (12–16g), zero sugar, and a short ingredient list, which is how the best one in our database reaches a B-. Avoid two traps: the sweetened "teriyaki" and "black cherry" style jerkies that add 5–9g of sugar, and the cheap emulsified sticks that are low in protein and carry saturated fat from added fat rather than lean muscle. Protein up, sugar zero, sodium as low as the flavor allows.

Are Slim Jims real jerky?

Not really — and the grade shows the difference. A Slim Jim is a "snack stick": an emulsified, mechanically-separated meat product, not a strip of dried muscle like traditional jerky. That matters nutritionally, because it carries less protein (around 6g) and more saturated fat than a lean jerky or biltong, on top of the usual heavy sodium. So it sits near the bottom of the category — a processed-meat stick wearing the jerky aisle's clothes. If you're after jerky's actual selling point, lean protein, the snack sticks are the wrong end of the shelf.

Is jerky good for low-carb or high-protein diets?

It fits both well, with the sodium asterisk. Most plain jerky is naturally low in carbohydrate and high in protein, which makes it a convenient, shelf-stable, no-refrigeration protein hit — genuinely useful for travel, hiking, or a between-meals top-up on a high-protein day. The two things to manage are the sweetened versions (which sneak carbs back in) and the sodium load if jerky becomes a frequent habit. As an occasional protein snack it's a solid choice; as an all-day grazing food it gets salty fast.

How is the Labelgrade calculated?

One 0–100 score from the same six weighted dimensions — protein density, ingredient quality, added sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and fiber — applied to every food alike. Jerky scores well on protein and (when plain) sugar, but sodium caps the category and added sugar or saturated fat sinks the weaker entries. Every number traces to the product's USDA-sourced label; the full weighting is on the methodology page.