The New Primal Spicy 100% Grass-Fed Beef Jerky

Great flavor and texture from a responsible company.

I really like outdoor foods which are responsibly sourced, artificial ingredient free, and have short ingredient lists. I think that food is getting too far from its roots and I believe that, while most health problems are induced by sedentary lives, overly processed foods also play a small factor in the overall decline in American fitness. 

Because of this and my inherent frugality I have made my own jerky ever since I was old enough to carry a bow/rifle and hunt my own deer. I also make my own sausages, bacon, and a lot of my own energy/granola bars. 

One of the best options in the hiking food department is jerky. You have dried meat, salt, and some flavor. What could be simpler? 

The New Primal has taken this approach and pared the ingredient list down even further, removing meat grown with antibiotics, hormones, grain (except with the turkey variety), and soy. 

Paleo/primal enthusiasts will also appreciate that these products are paleo-friendly and gluten-free. 

So, with all this wholesome goodness is it good to eat? I took the challenge. I sampled their plain beef, spicy beef, and turkey jerky flavors. For my test I consumed all three packs (6 ounces total) for breakfast and gauged the energy and fullness I felt from them during my day. (Please also see my reviews of the Original 100% Grass-Fed Beef Jerky and Turkey Jerky.)

Satiety

After eating all three packs (I shared a little of each with Jen) at about 7 a.m. I consumed roughly 500 calories in mostly pure meat. This calorie bill is in line with what I’d eat for a typical morning meal on a hike. Since it's also 72 grams of salty protein, I also chased it with a cup of black coffee and a pint of water.

By 10:30 a.m. I was already rabidly hungry, which is nothing new to me. I am almost always hungry at this time so I’d say that satiety is no different than if I had eaten a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and fruit, the difference being the protein load in the jerky was WAY higher and the carb count was WAY lower.   

SPICY BEEF

Yum, spicy

Appearance

The spicy beef jerky was more dynamic appearing than the basic beef. The strips showed more spices and pepper seeds yet had the same shape as the plain beef jerky. I didn’t dwell too much on the looks because the spices and aroma made me lose control and a small feeding frenzy ensued. 

Peppery

Texture

Compared to the plain variety the spicy jerky was more tender and had a slight stickiness to it. It fell apart easier than the plain style and was easier to eat quickly which only hastened its demise. I prefer jerky a tad more chewy, but it wasn’t bad.

Taste

Opening this bag stimulated every hunger reflex in my entire body. I couldn’t wait to try it. I was not disappointed as the sweet, spicy and salty all balanced each other to make what may be my favorite beef jerky.  The honey, pineapple and cayenne stood out the most yet were not cloying and didn’t punish me with too much capsicum.

Nutrition

Before you jump on the bandwagon that automatically believes that grass-fed must be healthier, consider the following comparison of The New Primal Basic Beef jerky to Oberto:

Oberto Original beef jerky has:

• 10 less calories
• 1 gram more protein
• 1.5 grams less fat
• 15 mg less cholesterol
• 170mg more sodium
• 2 grams more sugar

Oberto All Natural Jerky beats The New Paleo jerky in all categories. 

Best For

I don’t usually eat jerky for breakfast. I eat it at the end of the day for recovery. It’s a great source of protein for recovery and salts that you sweat out during the day. 

I like the responsibility movement in food. Many people today are trying to pay more attention to how their food is produced and are demanding more humane treatment of the animals they eat. If you can afford a little more price you can get a lot more responsibility and quality with The New Primal Jerky products.

For those who believe in grass-fed, hormone-free foods, this is a great option. Personally I am much more afraid of the natural hormones in soy than the man-made ones fed to livestock and The New Primal jerky also has no soy. If you have a choice and low cost is not your primary concern, try The New Primal.

Please also see my reviews of the Original 100% Grass-Fed Beef Jerky and Turkey Jerky.