High Protein, High Fiber Snacks: Why Jerky Needs a Partner

Jerky and biltong give you protein but no fiber, so the best high protein, high fiber snack is a pair: dried beef next to beans, fruit, vegetables, seeds or whole grains. We make certified Glatt Kosher biltong and jerky, and we will tell you plainly that meat is only half of this snack.

Search for "high protein high fiber snacks" and you get a mix of bars, shakes and listicles. Most of them chase one number and miss the other. Here is the straight version from people who make dried beef for a living. Everything we make is certified Glatt Kosher, and none of it has any fiber. Fiber comes from plants. Beef is not a plant.

That is not a flaw. It is a division of labor. Meat does the protein. Plants do the fiber. A good snack uses both.

Why a protein snack alone falls short

Protein is filling. Fiber is filling in a different way. It adds bulk, slows digestion and keeps a snack from burning off in an hour. When you eat protein with no fiber, you get a snack that is satisfying at first and leaves you looking for something else by mid-afternoon.

The reverse is also true. A bowl of fruit has fiber but very little protein, and it does not hold most people for long either. Together they do better than either one alone. That is the whole idea behind the pairing.

We are not going to give you daily fiber targets or grams-per-serving claims here. Those depend on your age, your doctor and your diet, and a snack article is the wrong place to set them. If you have a medical reason to track fiber or protein, ask your doctor or a dietitian. What we can say is simple. Dried beef has protein and no fiber. Plant foods can fill the gap.

The protein half: what dried beef brings

Dried beef earns its spot because it is high in protein, ready to eat and needs no refrigeration. It also has no prep. Nothing to peel, slice or cook. That makes it the easy half of the pair, so you can spend your effort on the fiber side.

We make two styles, and they suit different pairings.

• Sliced Biltong is air-dried, savory and salty. It comes in three-ounce bags of Original, Peri Peri or Loaded Garlic. Original is beef first, with a warm coriander note. Peri Peri has real heat. Loaded Garlic is rounder and sweeter, savory rather than hot. Our Original biltong lists no sugar in its ingredients: grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic and vinegar.
• Meat Candy is our jerky. It is cooked, glazed and sweeter. Hickory Kickory Dock is smoky hickory. Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep is Korean BBQ, sweet and savory together. Check the label if you are watching sugar or have a dietary restriction, because the glaze is part of the product.

Our kosher beef jerky collection has the full jerky lineup. For the rest of the biltong range, see Buy Biltong Online.

The fiber half: what to put next to it

These are the plant foods that do the job. We have grouped them by how easy they are to carry, since a snack you cannot pack is a snack you will not eat.

Fruit and vegetables you can carry

• Apples and pears. Eat them with the skin on. Biltong and a crisp apple is a combination people are surprised by. Salty and savory next to sweet and tart works.
• Berries. Raspberries and blackberries are among the fiber-rich fruits, and they pack into a small container. They are delicate, so keep them away from the bottom of a bag.
• Carrots, celery and snap peas. Raw, crunchy and easy. They give you the chew-for-chew match that biltong deserves.
• Avocado. Soft, rich and fiber-heavy. It needs a spoon and a ripe one, so it is a home snack, not a travel snack.

Legumes

• Roasted chickpeas. Crunchy, shelf-stable and a good partner for a bag of biltong. They have both fiber and some protein of their own.
• Hummus with raw vegetables. Chickpeas again, in a dip. Pair it with carrot sticks and a few slices of biltong on the side. Hummus is normally pareve, but check the label for a kosher symbol.
• Edamame. Steamed in the pod, lightly salted. Good at a desk if you have a microwave.

Nuts, seeds and whole grains

• Almonds, pistachios and pumpkin seeds. Fiber, fat and staying power. Nuts are a common allergen, so leave them out of anything going into a nut-free school or office.
• Chia and flax. Better stirred into something than eaten alone. They suit a breakfast more than a snack drawer.
• Popcorn. A whole grain, and a lot of volume for little weight. Plain or lightly salted is best.
• Whole-grain crackers. Look for "whole grain" as the first ingredient, and check for a kosher symbol on the box.
• Oats. Plain oats work as a base for a savory bowl if you want a real meal from the idea. Most people will find it easier to eat biltong on the side.

Five pairings that work

A list of foods is not a snack. Here are five combinations we would actually eat.

1. Original biltong and a sliced apple. The easiest one. Cut the apple in the morning, pack a few slices of biltong, done.
2. Biltong, roasted chickpeas and almonds. A dry, crunchy mix that holds up in a bag all day. Pour it into a container and you have a trail mix with a meat base.
3. Hummus, raw carrots and a few strips of Loaded Garlic biltong. Savory, crunchy and no cooking. The garlic suits the chickpeas.
4. Meat Candy and a pear. If you want sweet, let the pear and the glaze work together. Keep the portion modest, since the jerky is already sweet.
5. Popcorn with a handful of chopped biltong stirred in. It is a movie-night snack with a bit more going on than chips.

Most of these take about two minutes. The only one that needs real planning is the hummus plate, and even that is just a container and a fridge.

What to watch for

A few honest limits on this idea.

Biltong is salty. Salt is part of how it is cured. If you are watching sodium, read our piece on protein, sodium and what is in the bag before you make it a daily habit, and balance it with unsalted nuts and fresh fruit.

Bars are not the answer. Many "high protein, high fiber" bars are held together with sugar and syrups. A bar can be fine on a bad day. As a habit, whole foods are more filling and easier to read on a label.

Fiber needs water. If you suddenly eat a lot more fiber, drink more water with it and add it gradually. That is general advice, not medical advice. If your digestion is sensitive, ask your doctor.

Biltong is the wrong pick if you are avoiding red meat, need something soft, or want a snack with no salt at all. In that case, beans, nuts and seeds can do the protein job on their own.

Keep kosher, keep it separate. If you keep kosher, skip the cheese-and-jerky plate. Meat and dairy stay separate, and families wait between them according to their own custom. Ask your rabbi if you are unsure how long. Everything above is pareve or meat, so the pairings on this page stay on the safe side of that line.

How to build a snack that has both

You do not need a recipe. Use a simple formula and mix by what is in the house.

• One protein. A bag of biltong or a few pieces of jerky.
• One fiber. A fruit, a vegetable, a legume or a whole grain.
• One extra if you want it. A small handful of nuts or seeds for crunch and staying power.

For carrying, the Sliced Biltong Mini's are one-ounce bags, sealed, and a good fit for a lunch bag or a car. They cost more per ounce than the three-ounce bag, which is the price of portioning. At home, buy the larger bag. If you are not sure which flavor goes with what, the Biltong Sampler Pack lets you try Original, Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic against a few of your favorite fiber foods before you commit to a full bag.

The bottom line

If you want a high protein, high fiber snack, do not look for one product that does both. Pair dried beef with something from the plant side: an apple, raw vegetables, roasted chickpeas, nuts or popcorn. Meat gives you the protein, plants give you the fiber, and together they keep you full longer than either does alone. US orders over $50 ship free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does beef jerky have fiber?

No. Fiber comes from plants, and beef has none. Jerky and biltong are good sources of protein, but if you want fiber you need to add something like fruit, vegetables, beans or whole grains. Check the label of any jerky that adds fillers or other ingredients.

What is a good high protein, high fiber snack?

Pairings work better than single foods. Biltong with an apple, roasted chickpeas with a few slices of jerky, or hummus with raw carrots and a side of biltong all cover both. Edamame is one of the few single foods with a good amount of both.

Is biltong good for a high-protein diet?

Biltong is high in protein, ready to eat and needs no refrigeration, which makes it easy to fit in. It is also salty, so balance it with fresh foods. If you are building an eating plan around it, ask your doctor or a dietitian.

What should I eat with jerky to get more fiber?

Fruit with the skin on, raw vegetables, roasted chickpeas, nuts and popcorn are the easiest. Keep the combination simple, since a snack you have to assemble is a snack you will skip.

Can I pair biltong with cheese?

If you keep kosher, not in the same sitting. Meat and dairy are kept separate, and families wait between them according to their own custom. Ask your rabbi if you are unsure. Hummus, fruit, vegetables and nuts all work without that issue.

Are your biltong and jerky kosher?

Yes. Our biltong and Meat Candy are certified Glatt Kosher. If you add other foods to the plate, such as crackers or hummus, look for a kosher symbol on those packages too.

Is there a sugar-free option?

Our Original biltong lists no sugar in its ingredients: grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic and vinegar. Meat Candy uses a glaze, so check its label if you are watching sugar or have a dietary restriction. Ask us if you have questions about a specific ingredient.