How Much Energy Does Your Meat Have?: The Ultimate Review of Perky Jerky

Meat Master Mike comes through bigtime

By Mike (e-mail Mike)

Last week you may have read the article I wrote profiling a strange little snack called Perky Jerky. At the end of the piece I mentioned how I would love to give their product a try. Well, much to my surprise, within a few hours I had an e-mail in my inbox from Mike Moorland of Perky Jerky offering to send out some samples. Yesterday the doorman alerted me that my package had arrived (a somewhat awkward conversation), and my boy Meat Master Mike hooked it up big time. Here is my review:

Original Perky Jerky

The original recipe is much more tender than regular beef jerky. Instead of that signature snap, Perky Jerky is more like eating a piece of rare meat – something I'm a big fan of. The tenderness does seem to take away from the spice though, so if you're into spicy jerky this probably isn't for you. But if you're looking for a mild, softer alternative to the rubbery gas station offerings, you'll probably really like Perky Jerky. The taste isn't much different from other jerkys I've had to be honest, but I think that's kind of the point, seeing as it's mixed with guarana – the caffeine source found in energy drinks. A single serving is high in sodium accounting for 22% of your allowed daily intake, however it's extremely low in fat with only 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0 trans fats. You'll also get 11 grams of protein from a single ounce of Perky Jerky, which outweighs the high sodium issue if you're overly concerned about that. I won't say you need to have this in your life, but if you come across it give it a shot.

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Turkey Perky Jerky

Now while I say you don't necessarily need the beef Perky Jerky in your life, that's partially because I know how much more you're going to love the turkey. This is where it's at. And with nearly as much protein as the original but with 0 fat and 1/5 the sodium, this could be the healthy snacker's dream come true. Not to mention you get to say the name every time someone asks you what you're eating. With the familiar chewy consistency of other beef jerky products, it's almost like a workout for your jaw muscles as you release the flavors of the smoked meat. But at the same time it's thin enough that you're not chewing too long. The spices combine to give the jerky a teriyaki-like flavor complimented by a peppery after taste. It's a little steep at $5 for a 2oz. bag, but as anyone who has ever attempted to eat healthy will tell you, you can only eat so much almonds and cottage cheese. With Turkey Perky Jerky you can treat yourself and stay true to your diet. Not to mention a portion of the profits will go to Muscular Dystrophy and Down Syndrome research. So in the end you get a product that tastes great, is great for you, and does great things with the money you spend on it. I'd say all that makes it worth dropping the extra $1 on them.

So you've won me over Meat Master Mike and Perky Jerky. We'd be proud to hand out samples for you at all our events. Just keep pumping out the Turkey so I can get my fix. And as a thanks for all the past and future free samples, I'll show everyone a nutrition comparison between eating a $5 Perky Jerky bag for lunch or a $5 footlong Veggie Delight with no cheese from Subway. Which one do you assume is healthier?


                                    Veggie Delight         Turkey Perky Jerky
Fat                                         5g                                 0g
Calories                               460                               100
Cholesterol                           0                           40mg (14%)
Sodium                             820mg                         220mg
Sugars                                10g                                 4g
Protein                                16g                                18g

18 grams of protein with 0 fat and 100 calories? $5 is a bargain.

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