Working out is essential to keep your mind and body healthy. Combining this with the right diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. Many athletes and sports persons eat jerky made out of beef to energize their bodies after a competition or workout session.
Nutritional Value of Jerky
Jerky is a perfect workout snack. Jerky contains a lot of essential nutrients and minerals such as zinc and iron that can help to develop our muscles. If you are targeting at muscle growth, then jerky can help you by providing the right amount of protein for your body.
There are many types of jerky available. The most preferred ones are beef jerky. Jerky are meat that has been trimmed of excess fat, cut into fine strip and left to dry. You get these in different flavors and nowadays are also available in low sodium.
If you are into sports, you body needs approximately 10 – 20 grams of protein to recover from an intense workout. One piece of jerky contains approximately 15 – 20 grams, making it an ideal snack for athletes.
Make your Own Jerky
If you hate eating outside food and prefer cooking your own meal, then you can make you own jerky by selecting your choice of meat.
- Ensure that you trim away the excess fat from the meat
- Wrap the meat in plastic and place it in a freezer for 2-3 hours
- When the meat is firm, remove from freezer
- Cut the meat into long thin slices
- Marinate the slices with sauces of your choice
- Place the strips in a zip lock bag and pour the marinate over it
- Keep the marinated meat in the fridge for a full day
Now that the meat is marinated, you need to dry the jerky. This can be done in two ways. You can either use an oven or a dehydrator. If you are using oven, you need to pre heat it to approximately 70 – 80 degrees. Place aluminum foil in the oven to avoid dripping.
Lay the strips apart from one another in the oven and allow it to dehydrate. Keep turning the slices so that each side is dried evenly. You can check to see if your jerky is ready by feeling it. If it breaks easily, it is too dry. If it easily bends and can be torn off with a bite, then it is ready.
Conclusion
You can combine jerky with fresh fruits or a balanced diet. If you have facing hunger cravings, you can have this jerky to satisfy those cravings.
