A Vegan Jerky Christmas

My husband and I recently got back from a pre-holiday Niagara Falls trip.  On the way from Ohio to Canada we stopped for gas in Geneva, Ohio.  We found what I call "jerky heaven" right next to the gas station.  A placed called "Tommy's Jerky Outlet" had about every type of Jerky you could imagine.  

Recently I discover a brand of vegan jerky that, believe it or not, my husband actually likes better than beef jerky.  It's called "Primal Strips" and is made out of soy beans or mushrooms depending on which flavor you choose.  I told my husband I wanted to ask the store clerk if they carried vegan jerky.  My husband responded, "please don't embarrass me."  I went and asked anyway.  While the store did not carry "vegan jerky," it turned out the owner was a health nut!  He has another business manufacturing other products that are for sale in Whole Foods and The Mustard Seed. (More about that in an upcoming post!)

Getting back to the jerky... I discovered the "Primal Strips" brand at a vegan cafe called "The Flaming Ice Cube" which is located in both Youngstown and Cleveland, Ohio.  If you can't get there you can also purchase online.  They go for about $1.29 for a 1 ounce package.   Even though they are a little pricey, health-wise they are far superior to traditional beef jerky snacks because they contain no preservatives, no GMO and are cholesterol free.   

Now if your loved one won't eat anything with the word "vegan" on the front of the package, what I recommend when purchasing traditional beef jerky is to flip the product over and look for the words "sodium nitrite" in the ingredients list.  If you see those words, I suggest not buying the product.  The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) (page 67) research recommends that processed meat preserved in this way be avoided all together due to potential cancer risk.  

The Oberto brand of jerky is a preservative-free product carried at Costco for about .80 an ounce - however my husband preferred the taste of the vegan brand.  So now due to bulk purchasing I am stuck with 17 ounces of jerky.  I hear they make great stocking stuffers! lol






.