By Donwynne and Amy Bergh
Our Original biltong has 53.7g of protein and 1.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, so it fits high-protein and keto eating, though calories and salt still count. A 35g pack has 109kcal, 18.8g of protein and 0.6g of carbohydrate. Those are the figures from our packs, not a diet promise. Biltong can be a useful snack in a balanced diet. It won't do the work of one.
What's actually in a pack?
| Typical values | Biltong per 100g | Biltong per 35g pack | Beef sticks per 100g | Beef sticks per 40g pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 310kcal | 109kcal | 483kcal | 193kcal |
| Protein | 53.7g | 18.8g | 38.3g | 15.3g |
| Fat | 9.7g | 3.4g | 35.3g | 14.1g |
| of which saturates | 4.2g | 1.5g | 18g | 7.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.7g | 0.6g | 2.8g | 1.1g |
| of which sugars | 1.5g | 0.5g | 0.2g | 0.1g |
| Salt | 2.7g | 0.9g | 2.4g | 1.0g |
Per-pack figures are worked out from the per-100g values on our packs. Nutrition is the same across all four biltong flavours. We don't add sugars. The fuller health picture, including processed meat, is in Is biltong healthy? and How much protein is in biltong?.
Can you eat biltong on keto?
It fits a very low-carbohydrate pattern easily. A ketogenic diet is generally described as a very low-carbohydrate way of eating, often in the range of 20g to 50g of carbohydrate a day. A 35g pack of our biltong has 0.6g of carbohydrate, and a 40g beef stick pack has 1.1g.
That doesn't make biltong a "keto product". It just means the carb count is very small, so it can sit in that kind of eating without using up much of the day's carbohydrate. Salt and calories still count, and the rest of your diet matters more than any one snack.
We can't tell you whether keto is right for you. If you're considering a very low-carbohydrate diet, especially if you have a health condition, speak to your GP or a dietitian.
Is biltong good for weight loss?
It can be a handy snack if you're trying to eat more protein and fewer highly processed sweet snacks, because a 35g pack is 109kcal with 18.8g of protein. Protein-rich foods help many people feel satisfied. That is not the same as saying biltong causes weight loss.
Portion size still matters. So does what you eat the rest of the day. Our beef sticks are a richer snack, at 193kcal and 14.1g of fat in a 40g pack, so they're a different kind of bite to the biltong.
What about salt?
Our biltong is high in salt by the usual UK label measure. It has 2.7g of salt per 100g, and the NHS counts anything over 1.5g per 100g as high. A 35g pack has about 0.9g, against an adult maximum of 6g a day.
If you're watching your weight, it's easy to focus on calories and forget salt. If you've been advised to cut down, it's worth counting.
Can people with diabetes eat biltong?
We can't give medical advice, and we wouldn't try. What we can share is the numbers: our biltong has 1.7g of carbohydrate and 1.5g of sugars per 100g, with no added sugars, and a 35g pack has 0.6g of carbohydrate.
Biltong is still a cured, salted red meat, which the NHS counts as processed meat, so it counts towards the NHS advice on red and processed meat. Diabetes UK also advises limiting processed meat as part of a healthy diet.
If you have diabetes, the right snack depends on your own plan. Check with your GP, dietitian or diabetes nurse before changing what you eat.
How much is a sensible amount?
A pack as a snack is a sensible amount for most people. Keep an eye on your total red and processed meat across the day, and on your salt. If you have a health condition, or you've been given specific dietary advice, check with your GP or a dietitian.
Where does the beef come from?
All our beef comes from Farm Wilder farms across South West England, where the cattle are 100% pasture-fed. There's more on Our Beef.
Want to try it?
Start with Original Biltong (6-pack £24.99, 12-pack £44.99), or try everything with The Whole Herd mixed 6-pack for £24.99. If it becomes a habit, Subscribe & Save on the 12-packs takes 15% off your first box, then 10% off every box after, delivered monthly, every 2 weeks or every 2 months. You can pause, skip or cancel anytime. Delivery is free from £65.
Sources
- NHS, Meat in your diet
- NHS, Salt in your diet
- NHS, How to read food labels
- Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, Lower carbohydrate diets for adults with type 2 diabetes, 2021 (defines very low-carbohydrate / ketogenic diets as 20g to 50g of carbohydrate a day)
- Diabetes UK, Red and processed meat
- Inyama product data: nutrition as printed on our packs