If you’re a fan of healthy home cooking that doesn’t skimp on flavor, you might already be familiar with Dan-O’s. They’re one of the biggest rising stars in the culinary seasoning world, and for a good reason.
While many seasoning blends rely on added sugar, tons of salt, and artificial ingredients, Dan-O’s takes a more health-conscious approach. Their seasonings are all-natural, diet-friendly, and free of sugar, gluten, MSG, and preservatives.
Previously, jerky lovers who wanted their beef infused with Dan-O’s goodness had to make it themselves with one of the company’s many seasoning blends.
But that’s no longer the case. Dan-O’s and Pap’s Jerky have teamed up to create Dan-O’s beef jerky — and getting a taste of it is as easy as ripping the bag open.
Still not sold? Read on for our top 5 reasons why you don’t want to miss out on Dan-O’s beef jerky.
5 Reasons Why Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Is So Darn Good
1. Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Is the Perfect Balance of Health and Flavor
- Pap’s Dan-O’s Chipotle Beef Jerky packs a southwestern punch thanks to a generous sprinkle of Dan-O’s Chipotle Seasoning that gives this jerky a delicious, satisfying chew with all the zip of Dan-O's best selling Chipotle Seasoning. It's that DAN GOOD!
- Rich in Flavor. We believe that making good choices when you snack shouldn’t mean you compromise on taste. Our beef jerky is about attention to detail. Each batch of jerky is made with super-lean American beef, and hand seasoned and marinated by our expert crew with simple, pure ingredients. No compromises. Ever.
- Protein. Protein. Protein. Protein is a primary source of fuel for the human body. You gotta have it! Pap’s jerky and beef sticks are a tasty, satisfying source of protein that can be a great alternative to protein shakes or other muscle fuel. 75% of daily recommended protein in every bag!
- Enjoy Pap’s on Your Next Adventure. We started with a dream to make a better beef jerky - a hand crafted nod to the origins of the product. So we wanted it to have a sensational chew, great flavor and be naturally cured, not dipped in potassium sorbate or any of that other stuff to preserve it. Somewhere along the line we adopted the mission of “Fueling Your Outdoor Lifestyle”, because, well, it’s folks like you who get up, get out, and get busy that we relate to. We made this for you. Enjoy!
All too often, healthy food is seen as synonymous with bland, boring food.
And while snack foods like jerky should be the opposite of bland and boring, healthy versions still tend to be plain and unsatisfying. There’s no zing, no kick, and no depth — you might as well be eating cardboard or grass!
Unfortunately, many of the ingredients that make food taste so good — sugar, salt, MSG — also have negative effects on our health. So what’s a health-conscious snacker to do?
Three words: Dan-O’s beef jerky.
The Dawn of Deliciousness
The Dan-O’s concept originated decades ago when founder Dan Oliver was in college. His mother gave him some chicken thighs, but he was a novice cook and wasn’t sure quite what to do with them.
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He and his friends decided to load the chicken up with spices and seasonings. The final product came out so good that Dan became obsessed with perfecting his seasoning blend — and sharing it with the world.
While he was developing the master recipe and tallying its nutritional values, he noticed that his seasoning contained less sodium than other companies’ blends. He then experimented with removing the sugar and found that the flavor was still phenomenal.
From then on, it was settled: Dan-O’s seasoning would be formulated as a healthier alternative to traditional seasonings. It would utilize natural ingredients like herbs, peppers, and citrus to provide ample flavor without relying on unhealthy additives.
To this day, Dan refuses to compromise flavor for health — and vice versa. And Dan-O’s beef jerky is no exception: it proves that you don’t need to fill your food with junk in order for it to taste incredible.
2. Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Is Completely Sugar-Free — But Still Sweet
It can be hard to imagine beef jerky without sugar — that robust meaty flavor needs a little sweetness to balance it out.
On the other hand, excess sugar consumption is a huge problem. The average American consumes more than triple the recommended amount of sugar per day, increasing their risk of heart disease, diabetes, dental disease, and liver disease.
It’s no wonder, then, that reduced-sugar or sugar-free beef jerky is rising in popularity. But these varieties come with their own problems.
Sugar-free jerky that’s sweetened with alternative sweeteners can have an odd, artificial taste. Sweeteners like stevia have their own subtle flavor that many people dislike, and that flavor can interact in strange ways with other ingredients as well.
And depending on your unique body chemistry, alternative sweeteners can cause bloating, GI discomfort, and other unpleasant side effects.
Dan-O’s beef jerky avoids all of these negative effects while still hitting the sweet spot. It’s sugar-free and sweetener-free, but it’s infused with natural sweetness from ingredients like citrus zest and peppers.
3. Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Has Less Sodium than Other Beef Jerky
Like sugar, excess sodium is bad news for your health.
9 out of 10 Americans consume too much salt, leading to inflammation, kidney disease, stroke, heart disease, and even cancer.
Unfortunately, beef jerky is a big culprit here: depending on the variety, one ounce can contain over 600 mg of sodium. That’s over 25% of the maximum recommended daily intake of 2,300 mg — and let’s be honest, we rarely eat just an ounce of jerky at a time!
But Dan-O’s seasoning is formulated to be low in sodium. It gets its salty goodness from all-natural, unrefined sea salt, which contains less sodium and more minerals than regular table salt.
Dan-O’s beef jerky gets these benefits, too: one ounce contains 440 mg of sodium, 25% less than many other types of jerky. It’s still not a low-sodium food — beef jerky almost never is — but it’s much better suited to anyone watching their salt intake.
4. Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Is Suitable for Gluten-Free and Keto Diets
- Why Try Only One Flavor When You Can Try Three? Get The Spicy, Sweet, & Smoky Flavors of Chipotle + The Classic Mild Pap's Taste + The Iconic Grippo's Flavor. All in One Variety Pack Bundle!
- Rich in Flavor. We believe that making good choices when you snack shouldn’t mean you compromise on taste. Our beef jerky is about attention to detail. Each batch of jerky is made with super-lean American beef, and hand seasoned and marinated by our expert crew with simple, pure ingredients. No compromises. Ever.
- Protein. Protein. Protein. Protein is a primary source of fuel for the human body. You gotta have it! Pap’s jerky and beef sticks are a tasty, satisfying source of protein that can be a great alternative to protein shakes or other muscle fuel. 75% of daily recommended protein in every bag!
- Enjoy Pap’s on Your Next Adventure. We started with a dream to make a better beef jerky - a hand crafted nod to the origins of the product. So we wanted it to have a sensational chew, great flavor and be naturally cured, not dipped in potassium sorbate or any of that other stuff to preserve it. Somewhere along the line we adopted the mission of “Fueling Your Outdoor Lifestyle”, because, well, it’s folks like you who get up, get out, and get busy that we relate to. We made this for you. Enjoy!
At first glance, beef jerky seems like it would be fine for just about any diet — well, aside from vegetarianism and veganism.
But many jerky varieties contain hidden ingredients that make them unsuitable for those with dietary restrictions.
Those who are sensitive to gluten, for instance, need to steer clear of most soy sauces, which are made with gluten. But soy sauce is a critical component of many beef jerky marinades, including the ubiquitous teriyaki.
And those on the keto diet need to minimize their carb intake, but many jerky brands use high-carb thickeners or carb-rich cuts of meat.
Dan-O’s beef jerky is designed to be compatible with most diets. It’s made with gluten-free soy sauce and contains just 1 g of carbs per serving, making it both celiac- and keto-friendly.
Bonus: it’s preservative-free and naturally cured, so if your diet requires you to steer clear of chemicals, you’re good to go with Dan-O’s.
5. Dan-O’s Beef Jerky Is Handcrafted by the Experts at Pap’s Jerky
The seasoning pros at Dan-O’s know how to give their beef jerky the perfect flavor. But what about the beef itself?
That’s where Pap’s Jerky comes in. Their expert jerky crafters use only 100% natural USDA beef, choosing each cut by hand and slicing it so that the best qualities of each piece really shine through.
The resulting jerky marries the finest beef with the most mouthwatering flavors and the perfect bite. And because it’s Dan-O’s beef jerky, it does it all with your health in mind — what could be better than that?
Dan-O’s Dan O Shows You How Dan-O’s Chipotle Beef Jerky Is Made! (Video)
"You might be a redneck if you think that beef jerky and moon pies are two of the major food groups."
-- Jeff Foxworthy
