· By Avi MAHARJAN
Is Biltong Healthy? The Honest Answer
Mostly yes, with one real caveat. Here is the honest version rather than the marketing version.
What biltong has going for it
Protein density. Air drying removes roughly half the weight of the beef as water, so what is left is concentrated. Biltong typically lands around 50 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is higher than almost anything else you can keep in a drawer.
No sugar, in the traditional style. This is the clearest difference from jerky, which is usually marinated in something sweet. Traditional biltong is cured with vinegar, salt and coriander. Nothing sweet goes in.
Short ingredient list. Beef, vinegar, salt, coriander, sometimes pepper. That is the traditional recipe. Read the back of whatever you buy, because not every brand stops there.
Micronutrients. It is beef, so you get iron, zinc and B12 in the same concentrated way you get the protein.
Shelf stable. Not a nutrition point exactly, but it is the reason biltong ends up replacing worse snacks. The best snack is often just the one that was actually there.
The caveat: salt
Salt is the preservation method. It is not an additive that could be engineered out without changing what the product is.
A 50 gram serve of biltong carries a meaningful share of a day's sodium. If you have been told to watch your blood pressure or sodium intake, this matters and you should treat biltong as an occasional food rather than a daily one.
For most people the practical answer is portion size. A handful is a snack. Half a bag in front of the television is a different thing.
Biltong versus the alternatives
| Biltong | Jerky | Protein bar | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein per 100g | Around 50g | Around 33g | Around 25g |
| Sugar | None traditionally | Usually several grams | Often sugar alcohols |
| Ingredients | Short | Medium | Long |
| Sodium | High | High | Low |
| Processing | Cured and dried | Marinated and heat dried | Formulated |
Is it processed meat?
Technically yes, in the sense that it is cured. It is worth being precise about what that means, because the health guidance people remember usually concerns processed meats containing nitrates and nitrites, such as bacon and many deli meats.
Traditional biltong is preserved with vinegar, salt and air rather than curing salts. That is a genuine difference, though it does not make dried meat a vegetable. If you want the most cautious reading, treat it as a good protein snack eaten in normal portions, not as a health food to eat without limit.
Who it suits well
- Anyone chasing a protein target without adding sugar
- People eating low carb, since traditional biltong is close to zero carbohydrate
- Anyone who needs food that survives a bag, a car or a desk drawer
- Post training, when whole protein sits better than a sweetened bar
Who should go easy
- Anyone managing blood pressure or told to reduce sodium
- Anyone with a kidney condition, where both protein and sodium may need managing
- Small children, where the salt load matters more relative to body size
None of this is medical advice, and if you are in one of those groups the useful conversation is with your doctor rather than a butcher.
What to look for when buying
Check the ingredient list rather than the front of the bag. Look for beef high in the list, no added sugar, and a maker who tells you where the meat comes from.
Ours is Australian wagyu, air dried in small batches in Mortdale, with more than 20 grams of protein per serve and no added sugar. Traditional is the plain benchmark, and the trio bundle is the easiest way to find your flavour.
