EV’s Take: This vegan jerky surprised me. Strong, tasty flavor and a very satisfying chewiness.
I really liked this maple bacon jerky.
The flavor was strong and on point. Smoky and tangy.
And I loved how chewy it is. I don’t know why, but I found it weirdly satisfying to masticate through these jerky strips. Like I was putting my teeth to proper use.
That said, it’s not as tough as meat jerky. I haven’t had beef jerky in over a decade, but I remember it requiring a level of chewing aggression that isn’t needed here.
If I had to offer one complaint about the taste, it’d be that the jerky is on the salty side, and that after a few handfuls, your mouth will feel parched.
And it’s pricey. I got it at $8.69 for a 3-oz bag. Whereas 3oz of Primal Vegan Jerky is $5.67 and 3oz of Stonewall’s Vegan Jerquee is $6.58.
(Btw, if you do want some tips on how to eat a vegan diet without torching your budget, you may appreciate this article.)
But all in all, this was a terrific snack.
What is Louisville Vegan Jerky made of?
Here’s the ingredient list:
- Textured Soy Protein
- Tamari (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Alcohol)
- Maple Syrup
- Water
- Natural Smoke Flavor
- High Oleic Sunflower Oil (Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate)
- White Vinegar
- Contains Less than 2% of:
- Vegan Brown Sugar
- Vegetable Juice Color
- Paprika
- Spices
On the spectrum of processed foods, honestly not bad!
Louisville Maple Bacon Vegan Jerky nutrition
| Serving Size | 1/3 a container (1oz or 28g) |
| Calories | 90 |
| Total Fat | 4g |
| Saturated Fat | .5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 430mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 9g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g |
| Total Sugars | 4g |
| Protein | 6g |
A nice boost of protein and fiber.
The only thing worth flagging is that the sodium level is fairly high.
Is Louisville Vegan Jerky healthy?
It is a processed food, but honestly, none of the ingredients are a cause for concern.
The main ingredient is textured soy protein. Which I feel like gets a bad rap. Before writing this post, I certainly didn’t think TSP sounded super healthy.
So I did a little research on wtf “textured soy protein” is and how it’s made.
Here’s the long and short of it:
First, farmers harvest the soybeans. Then the beans are brought to a processing facility where machines de-shell them and remove the oil from them.
Often, companies use a chemical solvent called hexane to do the oil extraction, which isn’t ideal from a health perspective.
Fortunately, Louisville Vegan Jerky Co doesn’t use hexane—woo! 🙌
Once the oil is removed, you’re left with “defatted” soy flour.
That soy flour is then cooked at high heat and pressure in a fancy machine called an extruder, and it comes out as the glorious chewy flakes we know as textured soy protein.
Some nutrients get lost during the oil-extraction and heating process, but overall, TSP isn’t bad for you.
It’s just like a bunch of robots thoroughly cook and reshape soybeans into plant protein nuggets.
Some people (myself included) can be sensitive to eating too much soy of any kind in one sitting, so if that’s you, just enjoy it in moderation and see how your body feels.
Where can I buy Louisville Maple Bacon Vegan Jerky?
Good news! This jerky is easy to find.
You can get it at Whole Foods and pretty much any health food store.
How did EV eat the Maple Bacon Vegan Jerky?
First, I just ate these suckers out of the bag.
And they make a great snack!
I wouldn’t hesitate to include them in a munchies platter alongside chips and nuts the next time I have guests over.
But I also wanted to try this soy jerky in a dish. I’ve never “cooked” with jerky before, and I felt up for the challenge.
I decided to go with bacon pancakes.
I made a batch of protein pancakes out of flour, pea protein powder, flax meal, soy milk, salt, vanilla extract, cardamom, and a splash of syrup.
Then I melted a square of Myokos Plant Milk Butter on top, and drizzled some maple syrup over the stack. And finally, I topped the pancakes with pieces of the Maple Bacon Jerky.
And I’m gonna be honest with you. I was scared this was going to be a dreadful combo.
Could Vegan Jerky really work with pancakes???
The answer turned out to be a definitive yes!
It actually worked! The jerky was sweet and maply enough to complement the pancakes. And the chewiness was a nice textural complement to my soft stack of cakes.
Between the jerky, soy milk, protein powder, and flax, this little stack of pancakes was about 30g of protein. Not bad!
What do you think?
Have you tried Louisville Maple Bacon Vegan Jerky? Did you find them as tasty and chewy as I did, or did the soy protein texture weird you out?
Let us know in the comments!
