Eat this way
Paleo Grass-Fed Beef Sticks
Paleo is mostly a question of what got added after the meat. Here's every one of our seven ingredients, and the two that strict eaters will want to think about.
Where we clearly qualify
The beef is 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised, never grain-finished. There's no grain, no soy, no dairy, no legume, and no artificial preservative in the recipe. For most people eating paleo, that's the list that matters and we're on the right side of all of it.
The two ingredients worth a closer look
Coconut sugar. It's an unrefined sweetener, and most paleo guidance treats it as acceptable in small amounts, which is how we use it. But plenty of people doing a strict reset avoid every added sweetener, coconut sugar included. If that's you, the minis come out at 0 grams of sugar on the panel, and the full-size Classic has 2. Either way, it's in the ingredient list and we're not going to bury it.
Citric acid. Ours is made by fermentation, not squeezed out of a lemon. That's true of nearly all food-grade citric acid. It's there to keep the stick stable and safe on a shelf. Some strict paleo lists include it, some don't, so I'd rather you know how it's made and decide than have me tell you it came from fruit.
About the cure
These are cured with celery juice powder, which carries nitrites that occur naturally in the vegetable rather than synthetic ones added from a jar. That's the honest description of it. I'm not going to build a claim out of it, because the labeling rules around that language are a mess and the difference matters less than people are told.
Why the beef being grass-fed actually matters here
Paleo is a question about sourcing as much as ingredients. Grass-fed and pasture-raised is on the front of the box and it's the first thing on the ingredient list, not a footnote. It costs more to make them this way. That's the trade we made.
What you're getting
Seven ingredients: 100% grass-fed beef, water, coconut sugar, sea salt, citric acid, spices, and celery juice powder, in a beef collagen casing. Twelve grams of protein in the full-size stick, five in the mini. No refined sugar. Nothing I wouldn't feed my own grandkids.
The honest numbers
Straight off the label, per stick.
| Per stick | Classic (1.5oz) | Mini (0.65oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | 7 | 7 |
| Grain / soy / dairy | None | None |
| Added sugars | 2g (coconut) | 0g |
| Protein | 12g | 5g |
| Beef | 100% grass-fed | 100% grass-fed |
Seven ingredients
Same recipe, two sizes
100% grass-fed beef, no grain, no soy, no dairy. Coconut sugar is the one ingredient to weigh.
Good to know
Paleo questions, answered straight
Are Miss Kay's beef sticks paleo?
They fit most paleo eating: 100% grass-fed beef, no grain, soy, dairy or legume. The two ingredients strict eaters may want to weigh are coconut sugar and citric acid. Both are explained on this page rather than hidden.
Is coconut sugar paleo?
Most paleo guidance treats it as an acceptable unrefined sweetener in small amounts. People doing a strict reset usually skip all added sweeteners. The minis are 0 grams of sugar on the panel; the full-size Classic is 2.
Where does the citric acid come from?
Fermentation, not fruit. That's true of essentially all food-grade citric acid, ours included. It keeps the stick stable on a shelf.
Is the beef really grass-fed?
Yes, 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised, never grain-finished. It's the first ingredient on the list.
Join the family
No hype, just the label.
A note now and then from my kitchen, and first word on anything new.