How to Compare Beef Sticks: Grass-Fed, Sugar, Sodium, Casing

First, compare the same amount

Sticks don't all weigh the same. A typical stick is about an ounce. Our Classic is 1.5 ounces and our Mini is 0.65. So before you compare protein, sugar or salt, look at the serving size at the top of the panel and compare per ounce.

It's easy math: divide the number by the ounces. Our Classic has 730mg of sodium in 1.5 ounces, which is about 487mg an ounce. The Mini has 300mg in 0.65 ounces, about 462mg an ounce. Same recipe, nearly the same salt per bite, just a smaller stick.

Grass-fed: read the whole claim

Under USDA's labeling guideline, "grass-fed" or "100% grass-fed" on a meat label is meant for cattle that ate only forage, like grass and hay, after they were weaned. If the animals also ate grain, the claim is supposed to say so, for example "fed 85% grass and 15% corn."

So read the claim word for word, and read the ingredient line, not just the front. USDA also encourages third-party certification for claims like this, so a certifier's name near the claim is a good sign. Ours says "100% grass-fed beef," first on the ingredient list. (More on grass-fed and grain-finished beef.)

Sugar: the Added Sugars line and the ingredient list

The Nutrition Facts panel has an Added Sugars line that counts sugar put in during making, syrups and honey included. On a meat stick, that's the number to compare.

Then read the ingredient list for the sweetener's name. Cane sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, dextrose and fruit juice concentrate are all sugar. A stick with no refined sugar can still contain sugar, so check the panel either way.

Here's mine: two grams of coconut sugar in a full-size Classic. The Minis are the same recipe; coconut sugar is on their label too, there's just so little per stick that the panel rounds to 0g. No refined sugar in either.

Sodium: compare it to the day, not just the stick

Every cured meat carries salt; that's part of what keeps it on a shelf. The number to watch is milligrams of sodium, and the fair comparison is against the whole day.

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines put the daily limit at under 2,300mg for anyone 14 and older, under 1,800mg for ages 9 to 13, under 1,500mg for ages 4 to 8, and under 1,200mg for ages 1 to 3.

I'll go first. Our Classic has 730mg a stick. The Mini has 300mg, less because it's a smaller stick; per ounce they're about the same.

Casing: what holds it together

A meat stick is stuffed into a casing, and a collagen casing has to be disclosed on the label. Here's the part worth knowing: when the casing comes from a different animal than the meat inside, USDA requires the label to say so, such as "in a sheep collagen casing." A casing from the same animal as the meat doesn't have to be named, so if it only says "collagen casing," the source isn't named. If your family avoids pork or any other meat, the casing line is the one to read.

Ours is a beef collagen casing, the same animal as the meat. It's edible, and it's what gives the stick its snap.

Two more quick checks

• The first ingredient. On a meat label, ingredients are listed from most to least. On a beef stick, the first one should say what kind of beef.
• How many ingredients. Count them. Ours is seven: 100% grass-fed beef, water, coconut sugar, sea salt, citric acid, spices and celery juice powder. Here's why each one is there, including the celery juice powder that cures it.

Line mine up against any stick you like. That's what the label is for.

Nothing I wouldn't feed my own grandkids.