What many people don’t realise abut the paleo diet is that, although meat is a big part of the diet, not all meats qualify as paleo.
The paleo diet is focused around consuming things that our ancestors would’ve eaten when they led nomadic lifestyles.
This means that grains are off the menu. That’s because they need cultivation and so only became part of our diets relatively recently.
This doesn’t just go for paleos themselves, but also for all the animals that paleos consume.
What Makes Beef Paleo?
For beef to qualify as paleo, the cow has to have a diet of grass.
This is what the ancestors of today’s domesticated cows would’ve existed on, and not fed any of the grains that cattle are routinely given these days.
Cattle are fed on grains because it’s a cheaper way to get bulk into them. Meat is often farmed intensively with cattle not allowed to graze.
Cattle are, however, designed to thrive off a grass fed diet, so the quality of the meat is far superior when they can consume what they would naturally.
It also contains more nutrients, including potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
The best part, in my book, is that cows that are outdoors and consuming grass are far happier and lead far more natural lives. Happy cows means happy meat!
Beef jerky is a favorite treat for many people. However, it’s often poor quality or of doubtful origin, which makes it unsuitable for a paleo diet.
There are, however, a few companies out there offering paleo beef jerky which is 100% paleo-friendly, made from the meat of grass-fed cattle.
Where can you find this paleo-friendly treats?
Here are a few of our favorites.
Top Pick: Paleo Valley
Paleo Valley’s Grass Fed Beef Sticks are absolutely delicious.
As the name suggests, the manufactures make them with the paleo diet in mind.
This means the cows feed entirely on grass and are never given antibiotics or hormones.
All the meat used for this paleo jerky is raised in the USA.
The cows are put out to graze on pastures that the farmers rotate, with no chemicals or pesticides used.
There are four different flavours of paleo beef jerky sticks, original, jalapeno, summer sausage and garlic summer sausage.
They’re all gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy free, as well as containing no sugar or artificial nitrates.
Even the herbs that they use to flavour the bars are organic, so you can completely put your trust in these tasty snack bars.
A lot of beef jerky bars use nasty chemicals to preserve them, but rest assured, Paleo Valley use natural fermentation techniques, meaning they’ll keep beautifully.
The Best Of The Rest:
Beef Sticks, Sogo Snacks
Sogo snacks pride themselves on the flavor of their beef sticks.
The beef used for this paleo jerky is verified by the Non-GMO project, meaning you can be sure that hormones or antibiotics were never given to the cattle.
They were also free-range, never confined to a feedlot.
Only simple ingredients are in the original flavor stick, with no added sugar.
Grass Run Farms Beef Sticks
These beef sticks are another great option for those on the hunt for the perfect paleo beef jerky.
All beef used is from the USA.
As with the other bars on this list, no one gives the cows anything nasty whilst they’re growing up on the pesticide-free pastures, nor is anything added to the bars when they’re being processed.
The New Primal Paleo Beef Jerky
If you’re looking for full-on paleo jerky rather than a beef stick or bar, this could be the ideal product for you.
This is a Kiwi brand, so all the meat that goes into these paleo morsels comes from cows that have grazed the pastures of New Zealand.
To add a bit of extra flavour, The New Primal throw in a squeeze of pineapple juice and honey, along with a bit of onion, pepper, and ginger to excite your taste buds.
This company only produces great Paleo products, so they’re a great one to support.
There are more paleo beef jerky brands out there. However, these are the ones that I’ve tried and tested and found to be a cut above.
Packed with nutrients and 100% paleo, give these brands a go.
One of them will quickly become your go-to snack when you need a healthy energy boost.
