Beef jerky vs microwave popcorn: which is healthier?
They are about equally nutrient-dense: beef jerky scores 10/100 and microwave popcorn 13/100, so pick by your goal. Both can be part of a healthy diet; the table below shows where each one is stronger. Source: USDA FoodData Central.
Beef jerky
410 kcal per 100 g. 1 oz: 28 g
Microwave popcorn
535 kcal per 100 g. 1 cup popped: 8 g
Which to pick for your goal
- Fewer caloriesBeef jerky410 vs 535 kcal per 100 g
- More proteinBeef jerky33 vs 8.4 g per 100 g
- More fiberMicrowave popcorn1.8 vs 10 g per 100 g
- Less sugarMicrowave popcorn9 vs 0.3 g per 100 g
- More potassiumBeef jerky597 vs 393 mg per 100 g
- Less saturated fatBeef jerky11 vs 15 g per 100 g
Nutrition side by side
| Nutrient | Beef jerky, 100 g | Microwave popcorn, 100 g | Beef jerky, 28 g | Microwave popcorn, 8 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 410 kcal | 535 kcal | 115 kcal | 43 kcal |
| Protein | 33 g | 8.4 g | 9.3 g | 0.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g | 57 g | 3.1 g | 4.6 g |
| Sugars | 9 g | 0.3 g | 2.5 g | <0.1 g |
| Fiber | 1.8 g | 10 g | 0.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 26 g | 30 g | 7.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 11 g | 15 g | 3 g | 1.2 g |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 9 µg | 0 µg | 0.7 µg |
| Potassium | 597 mg | 393 mg | 167 mg | 31 mg |
| Iron | 5.4 mg | 2.1 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Calcium | 20 mg | 23 mg | 5.6 mg | 1.8 mg |
| Magnesium | 51 mg | 110 mg | 14 mg | 8.8 mg |
| Sodium | 1785 mg | 763 mg | 500 mg | 61 mg |
Last updated . Scores use the HowHealthyIs Score method.