Meat and poultry
Biltong on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 50 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), as sold, air dried, for around 300 calories. A small handful, about 30 g (1.1 oz), gives roughly 15 g of protein for 90 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from biltong alone you would need about 60 g (2.1 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How biltong sits on a GLP-1
Biltong is the densest whole food protein you can buy: about 50 g per 100 g, which is higher than most protein bars and close to some powders. On a very small appetite that ratio is hard to beat, and because it is air dried rather than cooked with sugar, it is softer to eat than jerky.
When your appetite is small
Thirty grams is 15 g of protein and fits in a pocket. Two packets across a day closes a 30 g gap without cooking, refrigeration or a plate, which is why we suggest it for shift workers and for travel.
Three ways to prepare it
Keep a bag at work and a bag in the car
Biltong keeps for weeks unopened. It is the only whole food protein that is realistic to store in a desk drawer.
Choose the moist cut over the dry
Moist biltong is far easier to chew and tastes less salty, which matters when everything already tastes strange.
Eat it with a glass of milk
Ten grams of protein from the milk, and it deals with the salt and the dryness at the same time.
What to eat it with
Milk, cheese or fruit. Biltong with something sweet and cold is a combination people tolerate on days when a hot meal is impossible.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biltong | about 50 g | 300 kcal | this page |
| Beef jerky | about 33 g | 280 kcal | See the page |
| Prosciutto | about 27 g | 250 kcal | See the page |
| Parmesan | about 35 g | 400 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, as sold, air dried, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Biltong is South African and is widely sold in Australia and the UK. It is less common in US supermarkets, where jerky dominates, though specialist brands exist. Biltong is air dried and unsweetened; jerky is cooked and usually sweetened.
Questions people ask
Is biltong the highest protein snack?
It is close. At about 50 g per 100 g it beats almost every bar, and a 30 g serve gives around 15 g of protein for roughly 90 calories. Watch the salt if you have high blood pressure.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.