Eat this way
Keto Beef Sticks: The Honest Carb Count
If you're counting carbs, you don't need me to sell you anything. You need the number. So here it is, both sizes, straight off the label — including the one that doesn't flatter us.
The short answer
Our minis are the ones to reach for: 1 gram of total carbohydrate, 0 grams of sugar on the panel, 5 grams of protein in a 0.65 ounce stick. Zero fiber, so net carbs and total carbs are the same number.
The full-size Classic is 4 grams of carbohydrate, and 2 of those grams are added coconut sugar. If you're keeping to a strict daily count, that's a real number and you should know it before you order, not after. I'd rather tell you than have you find out reading the panel at your kitchen counter.
Why most beef sticks aren't as low-carb as they look
Meat is not the problem. What gets added to meat is. Sugar goes into a lot of sticks and jerky for flavor and for browning, and it hides under names that don't read like sugar — cane syrup, dextrose, maple, molasses, honey powder. A stick that looks like plain beef can carry six or seven grams once you turn it over.
The tell is usually the marinade. If a stick tastes sweet, something sweet is in it, and the ingredient list will say so if you read far enough down.
What to check on the label
- Total carbohydrate, not just sugar. Starches and binders count too.
- Added sugars, which is its own line now and is the honest one.
- Dietary fiber, because that's what you subtract to get net carbs. Most meat sticks have none, so what you see is what you get.
- The ingredient list length. Seven ingredients is easy to audit. Twenty-two is not.
What's in ours
100% grass-fed beef, water, coconut sugar, sea salt, citric acid, spices, and celery juice powder, in a beef collagen casing. That's the whole list, and it's the same list for both sizes — the minis just come out at 0 grams of sugar at their serving size.
We don't print "sugar-free" on a box, because coconut sugar is still sugar. No refined sugar, and the coconut sugar is right there in the list where you can see it.
So which one should you buy?
If you're strict about it, the minis. If you've got more room in your day and you want the bigger stick with 12 grams of protein, the Classic is the one — just count the 4.
The honest numbers
Straight off the label, per stick. Fiber is 0g in both, so net carbs equal total carbs.
| Per stick | Classic (1.5oz) | Mini (0.65oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Total carbohydrate | 4g | 1g |
| Dietary fiber | 0g | 0g |
| Total sugars | 2g | 0g |
| Added sugars | 2g | 0g |
| Protein | 12g | 5g |
| Calories | 140 | 60 |
If you're counting
The minis are the low-carb one
1g of carbohydrate per stick. The full-size Classic is 4g if you've got the room for it.
Good to know
Carb questions, answered straight
Are Miss Kay's beef sticks keto?
The minis are 1 gram of total carbohydrate per stick, and the panel reads 0 grams of sugar, which fits most low-carb counts. The full-size Classic is 4 grams of carbohydrate with 2 grams of added coconut sugar, so it's the less strict choice. Both numbers are on this page so you can decide for yourself.
How many net carbs are in a stick?
Same as total carbs, because there's no fiber in either size. Minis are 1 gram. The full-size Classic is 4 grams.
Why is there any sugar at all?
Coconut sugar is in the recipe for flavor and for the cure. It's a small amount and it's listed plainly. We could take it out and the stick wouldn't taste like Miss Kay's anymore, so we left it in and told you about it instead.
Is there anything artificial in them?
Seven ingredients: grass-fed beef, water, coconut sugar, sea salt, citric acid, spices, celery juice powder. The citric acid is made by fermentation rather than squeezed from a lemon, which is worth knowing if you're particular.
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