If you are looking for a quick bite, a boost of energy, the surge in natural mini beef sticks on the market is a great choice. The bonus is that they come individually wrapped. That keeps them fresh for often over a year. No worrying about dirty hands spoiling a bag of sausages, which is easy to do in summer.
At 45 to 50 calories and 4 grams of protein, they will give you a boost without being too much to eat, especially helpful on hard days. All four options are zero sugar.
We had two brands to try out:
Archer and Chomp’s Chomplings.
Both are natural (no artificial preservatives; they all use celery powder to achieve this).
Up first, the grass-fed original mini beef sticks from Archer. 200 mg of sodium.
The Archer ones have a more rustic texture, with a slightly richer texture. Great flavor.
Both Archer varieties have larger packaging and are slightly more challenging to open. However, the outer bag is reusable. They come in 5 flavors.
Archer Grass-fed Beef & Cheese.
Of the four choices, this was my last in preference. While they are good, I found them to be saltier (they contain a bit more sodium at 220 mg). The cheese is very sharp in flavor. Still, it works. They would be great diced up and added to recipes.
The Chomplings come in five flavors.
Up first was the Original flavor. It has 170 mg of sodium.
The Chompling sticks are smoother and snappier in texture. Their packaging is smaller and easier to open. The outer bag is not resealable, though.
Sea Salt Beef Stick. 170 mg sodium.
The Takeaway:
We enjoyed all four, though, as I mentioned, I found the cheese one to be a bit more intense in its flavor.
The Chomps brand has lower sodium levels than Archer’s, but as a stand-alone snack, the sodium levels are not particularly high.
I would recommend all four flavors.
I found the Archer at a grocery store (and in big box stores). They can also be found on Amazon in 4-ounce packs.
Chomplings can be found at Aldi locations for far less, but also on Amazon.
~Sarah