Slim Jim is one of the most distinctive beef jerky brands in the US. The bright yellow packaging can be found in convenience and grocery stores across the country, and the brand serves as a convenient way to get protein while on the road.
But what’s actually in Slim Jims other than animal protein? Are the flavoring ingredients unhealthy? Is the sodium content a concern? And how are Slim Jims actually made?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Slim Jims to give our take on whether or not the popular snacks are bad for you.
We’ll also explain whether or not the sodium content is a concern, feature a video showing how Slim Jims are made and share a healthier beef jerky option.
Key takeaways:
- Meat is conventionally-sourced
- Questionable inactive ingredients
- Do we currently recommend Slim Jims? No
Ingredient Analysis
Slim Jim Original contains a large number of ingredients so we’ll break our analysis into two sections.
The first set of ingredients are shown below:
Beef, pork and chicken are unsurprisingly the first-listed ingredients, and there is no reference as to whether these ingredients are sourced from pastured or conventionally-raised animals.
A medical review published in the Foods journal suggests that animal products sourced from pastured animals are more nutritious than those from conventional animals.
Corn syrup is a cheap, refined sweetener.
A 2019 medical review suggests that added sugars in excess are associated with increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and many Americans already consume too many added sugars in their diet.
The additional ingredients in Slim Jims are shown below:
Natural flavors is a healthier option than artificial flavors, but a medical review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal suggests that some flavoring additives and their metabolites may be suboptimal for human health.
Dextrose is another sweetener.
Citric acid is a flavor enhancer that’s clinically shown to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals.
Sodium nitrite is a preservative, and food additive nitrites were shown to be associated with increased risk of some types of cancer in a 2022 medical review.
Overall, we consider Slim Jims to be bad for you and we do not currently recommend this product.
While consuming most food products in moderation has a likely small effect, we consider avoiding "processed" foods like Slim Jims likely to improve health overall.
Is the Sodium a Problem?
In the previous Ingredient Analysis section we reviewd the ingredients in Slim Jim, and in this section we’ll discuss the nutrients, specifically sodium.
One serving of Slim Jim Short Sticks Original, which equals four sticks, only contains 130 milligrams (mg) of sodium.
High sodium intake is associated with increased risk of mortality according to a 2016 medical review, although research on this topic is mixed.
A more recent medical review found that sodium intake correlates positively with longevity, which is an opposite conclusion of the previously-cited review.
We do not consider the sodium content in one serving of Slim Jim Short Sticks Original to be high, and this is actually a lower sodium content than many processed food products.
In our opinion, the negative health effects of Slim Jims relate more to the ingredients than the sodium content.
How Are Slim Jims Made?
A WIRED video with over 500,000 views shows how Slim Jims are made in a captivating animated video that’s under two minutes long:
Our Healthy Protein Picks
For consumers who want convenient, no-cooking protein options we believe there are some good options on the market.
Grass-fed beef jerky is a good choice, because meat from grass-fed animals is shown in medical research to be nutritionally superior to meat from conventionally-raised animals.
The New Primal Grass-Fed Beef Jerky Sticks is our top pick for a healthier meat product. They're convenient (no cooking required), sourced from exclusively grass-fed animals, free of nitrates and nitrites and also free of added sugar.
Sardines are a cheap and convenient canned protein option with significant health benefits. As we documented in our review on the benefits of fish oil supplements, fish oil can support healthy cholesterol levels and provides potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Wild Planet Sardines is our top pick because they're sustainably sourced, packed in water and free of questionable additive ingredients. Sardines are also high in calcium, providing 15% DV in only 140 calories.
