With over 7 600 million square kilometres to explore in this great southern land – a car journey is a way of life in Australia.
Planning your road trip snacks
But as anyone who has been on a road trip knows all too well – choosing the right snacks is as important as filling the tank, checking the tyres and cleaning the windscreen (well almost). Top notch nibbles are essential – and we say biltong and jerky should be top of your shopping list when planning your road trip snack pack.
Here’s the thing.
Biltong and jerky make the best snacks for a whole lot of reasons – some of which you may know already and some of which may surprise you. The fact that they make the best high protein snacks is a given, but did you know they’re packed with mood-lifting, immune-boosting and fatigue-busting nutrients too?
Other typical road trip snacks like chips, nuts, crackers, muesli bars, pre-packaged muffins or cookies and lollies can contain a lot of nasties like excess sugar, salt and preservatives – and even if you choose to make your own, you generally have to keep them cool in an esky in the car. But with biltong and jerky, you get all the advantages of nutritional benefits, no mess convenience and extended shelf life with no downsides.
Whether you’re a newcomer to these dried meaty treats or a seasoned muncher, you’ll be interested to learn why biltong and jerky make ideal road trip companions.
Why take biltong and jerky on your road trip?
Biltong and jerky are both dehydrated meat products, but they’re far from dry and tasteless. In fact, it’s just the opposite. They’re moist, chewy, flavourful and crunchy – with the added bonus that there’s no sticky residue or crumbly mess making them the ideal ‘grab and go’ travel munchies.
In a nutshell, here’s why these dried meat snacks are so good on a road trip:
- Healthy
- Nutritious
- Mess-free and fuss-free
- Convenient and easily transportable
- Long shelf-life
- Can be stored without refrigeration
- Suitable for all ages – even teething babies can suck on a biltong stick
- Perfect boredom busters
And when you order online from DJays Gourmet, you know you’re getting the best biltong and jerky in Australia!
We’ve been in the business for 40 years and our family owned and run operation not only supplies many of the servos, liquor outlets and supermarkets around the country, we also deliver door-to-door via our fast and efficient shipping service. So no matter where your journey takes you across this great land, you can take your biltong and jerky along for the ride – and if you need to replenish your stocks or want a delivery waiting at your destination, ordering online is easy and quick.
Let’s break things down to demonstrate exactly why biltong and jerky are the best bites for the road.
Health benefits of biltong and jerky
The nutritional profile of biltong and jerky make them a healthier choice than many of the other convenience foods like potato chips, biscuits and lollies that people often eat in the car. So when you reach into the glove box for the packet of jerky or biltong, it’s not a guilty pleasure. Instead, you can munch on these meaty treats and feel good!
Whilst jerky is considered a processed food and can contain an amount of sugar depending on the marinades used, both these dried meat products are protein-rich and lower in carbs. That means they’ll sustain your energy levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer without the sugar crash that you get with many pre-packaged convenience foods.
They both contain salt (in differing amounts depending on the production process and the manufacturer), so you need to make sure you’re buying a high-quality product that’s made with premium all-natural ingredients. However, biltong and jerky are both generally far less sodium-heavy than other commercially produced savoury snacks – but of course, as with just about everything in life – it’s all about moderation!
If you want to discover more about how jerky and biltong support a healthy lifestyle, have a look at this article on the science behind the snacks.
Remember, biltong and jerky tick a lot of boxes in terms of the RDA of iron, zinc, sodium, choline, B-vitamins including B12 and B9 plus they contain minerals such as magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. These essential nutrients play a vital role in many of our bodily functions – so you can trust that their crunchy, chewy deliciousness is doing the whole family good!
Tasty snacking at its convenient best
These two protein powerhouses require zero prep and there’s zero mess…plus they’re utterly delectable.
What could be easier than opening a packet of biltong or jerky in the car and sharing it around – knowing that there won’t be any crumbs or flakes to clean up, nor will there be any squishy muck or greasy spills and sticky fingers. Biltong and jerky are the ultimate ‘no mess, no fuss’ snack – perfect for road trips (and everything else!).
Both snacks originated centuries ago when the early tribes in South Africa and South America were forced to find ways to preserve meat to ensure their survival during long hunting trips and harsh winters. (Read more about the history of biltong here). There were no fridges back then – and no refrigeration is required today either – making them the perfect snack on the road, off the road and off the grid. No esky – no worries!
We know that kids can get restless in a car – even adults can get a bit testy on extended trips – and that’s where the versatility of biltong and jerky come into play. Because these snacks come in different cuts and thicknesses (check out our popular range of snap sticks and droewors, the traditional South African dried sausage), you can give your youngsters a stick or chunk to gnaw on. These make the perfect distraction on a long journey – plus the sticks are easy to hold (even the driver can manage the one-handed snack break with confidence!)
Top 5 Road Trip Picks
Biltong and jerky are the ultimate road trip snack.
Here are our top 5 road trip picks which will keep the whole family feeling fuelled up and fulfilled along the way:
- Beef jerky pack – taste 4 x 200gm jerky packets in flavours of your choice
- Beef biltong – Australia’s best beef biltong made from 100% Australian beef and all natural, premium ingredients
- Snapsticks – tasty dried beef sticks, ideal for all ages to gnaw on in the car
- Biltong and droewors pack – the perfect protein-powered no-mess convenience snack for the road
- Taste it all hamper – a variety pack which has something for everyone
A last word on Aussie road trip snacks
A road trip is right up there with all the other quintessentially Aussie things like barbies, backyard cricket, bouncedowns and Vegemite, and whether you’re heading up the coast, exploring the red centre, seeking a quiet country escape or escaping the urban grind – you need the best snacks for the ride.
These meaty morsels are tasty and satisfying and packed with nutritional goodness – plus they boast a whole heap of other benefits including zero prep, zero mess and zero refrigeration. They’re the ideal travel companions, so order yours today at DJays Gourmet – Australia’s leading supplier of packaged dried meat products. We wish you safe and happy travels!