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Turkey jerky on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 33 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), as sold, dried, for around 260 calories. A small packet, about 30 g (1.1 oz), gives roughly 10 g of protein for 78 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from turkey jerky alone you would need about 91 g (3.2 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 turkey jerky sits on a GLP-1
Turkey jerky is leaner than beef jerky, about 33 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz) with very little fat, and it is usually a little softer to chew. It is also often sweeter, because teriyaki and honey flavours dominate the shelf. On a GLP-1 it has the same virtues and vices as any jerky: it lives in a bag for months and delivers protein in a very small volume, and it is dry, salty and takes a long time to eat, which some people find helpful and others find hopeless.
When your appetite is small
A 30 g (1 oz) packet is about 10 g of protein and 80 calories, which holds a gap without filling you up. Eat it with a glass of milk or a protein water for the drink it needs and the extra protein, and choose the original or plain flavour, which carries less sugar than the sweet ones.
Three ways to prepare it
A packet in the bag, eaten with milk
The jerky covers the gap, the milk covers the dryness and adds 9 g. Together about 19 g with no fridge until the milk.
Chopped into a hot broth or noodle soup
Turkey jerky softens in hot liquid within minutes and turns a thin soup into something with meat in it.
Torn over a salad with avocado
Strips of jerky over leaves, avocado and cucumber. The avocado makes a dry protein easier to eat.
What to eat it with
Milk, cheese, fruit, avocado, a broth. Jerky wants moisture beside it, and the best partner is one that also brings protein.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey jerky | about 33 g | 260 kcal | this page |
| Beef jerky | about 33 g | 280 kcal | See the page |
| Biltong | about 50 g | 300 kcal | See the page |
| Protein bar | about 33 g | 380 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, as sold, dried, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Turkey jerky is common in US supermarkets, with Jack Link's the big brand, and is sold in Australia by specialist jerky makers and online. It is less common in the UK, where beef jerky and biltong dominate the shelf. Protein per 100 g ranges from about 28 to 40 g by brand.
Questions people ask
Is turkey jerky healthier than beef jerky?
It is leaner, with a little less fat and about the same protein at 30 to 35 g per 100 g (3.5 oz). Both are salty, and the sweet flavours of turkey jerky can carry more sugar than beef. Neither is a full protein stop on its own; a packet is about 10 g.
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.