Biltong – Can it be Your Number one Source of Protein?

Protein is a vital nutrient for optimal health, it plays a lot of serious roles in the body such as building muscle mass, regulating hormones, repairing tissues, and helping with digestion. Protein bars, protein shakes and protein powders are all well and good, but if you’re searching for a snack that will leave you feeling satisfied then there are plenty of other snacks available, including Beef Biltong.

In this post, we’re going to look at our number 1 favourite high-protein snack that won’t spike your blood sugar and leave you wanting something else after an hour.

Why high protein?

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or improve your overall fitness protein has it all. It can help to curb cravings, reduce your appetite, protect your lean muscle mass, and support your strength training workouts.

What are the best protein sources?

When it comes to protein, it should come as no surprise that nothing can compare to animal-based sources such as meat. Meat-based snacks such as beef biltong are incredibly protein-dense and much better for you than the average protein shake or protein bar. And positively, biltong boxes are available to buy them in larger quantities for your protein requirements.

What is beef biltong?

Beef biltong is one of the highest protein snacks available on the market, and its origins can be traced all the way back to the ancient Egyptians! It’s a form of dried and cured meat snack that gained popularity amongst Dutch travellers in South Africa some 400 years’ ago as a way to preserve meat for future meals. Fast forward to today and the snack is still as popular as ever – it’s long-lasting, has a tonne of health benefits and contains an impressive amount of protein per serving.

Sounds great – so is it just the same as Jerky?

If we had to compare Biltong to something, then yes, we’d have to compare it to Jerky. But only because they’re both dried and cured meat-based snacks. When it comes to how they both taste and are made they couldn’t be any different!

How are they different?

Jerky is made using much leaner strips of beef than biltong, which is what gives it its chewy texture. Biltong, on the other hand, can be made from a variety of cuts depending on how chewy or soft you want it to be.

As well as using different cuts, the ingredients used to cure biltong and jerky are worlds apart too. Biltong uses a 400-year-old South African recipe that features a blend of herbs, spices, and vinegar and is hanged up to air dry whereas jerky uses salts, sugars, and sauces to add to the flavour of the meat after it has been smoked. Therefore, jerky is often chewier and smokier than Biltong.

Biltong is high in protein – is it healthy?

You might not think that a meat-based snack could be so healthy, but Biltong is one of the healthier grab-and-go snacks available on supermarket shelves, especially if you choose the right brand like M-EAT!

As well as being high in protein, biltong is also incredibly low in carbohydrates and saturated fats making it the perfect companion to a range of diets and lifestyles. And, if that wasn’t enough look at all these incredible health benefits too:

• Long shelf life – because biltong is dried and cured it means that it lasts for ages without going off making it the perfect snack for a gym bag or desk drawer
• Packed with vitamin B – vitamin B is essential for cell regeneration and biltong is packed with B12 to help your muscles repair after an intense gym session
• Preservative-free – biltong doesn’t use any artificial colours or flavourings during the curing process meaning it’s entirely natural and safe to eat for many people

Final thoughts

If you are consuming a healthy, balanced diet you should be able to get most of your protein in through your three main meals a day, however if you are struggling then beef biltong is one of the best snacks you can consume to give you a pick-me-up. While protein bars and shakes are highly convenient for a lot of people, biltong offers a nutritious snack that can be eaten on-the-go and stored away in your bag or locker when you need to.