Krave Black Cherry BBQ Pork Jerky: 9g Protein, Labelgrade B- (70/100)
B- 70 / 100 — Exceptionally lean: 9g of protein per ounce with essentially zero fat, because Krave uses trimmed pork rather than fatty cuts. That makes it one of the most protein-dense, lowest-fat jerkies on the shelf. The two things holding it at B- are the candy-like sugar (9g per ounce, cane sugar is the #2 ingredient) and the high sodium that every jerky carries.
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Krave Black Cherry Barbecue Pork Jerky delivers 9 g of protein per 1 oz (28 g) serving for about 80 calories (USDA FDC 1646434) — roughly 32 g of protein per 100 g, denser than cooked chicken breast by weight. Its real signature is leanness: Krave trims its pork rather than using fatty scrap, so each ounce carries about 0.5 g of total fat and zero saturated fat. Lots of protein, almost no fat — a rare pairing in a meat snack. The catch is the flavor that gives it its name: this is a candied, barbecue-glazed jerky with 9 g of sugar per ounce (cane sugar is the second ingredient) and the 320 mg of sodium that comes with any cured meat. The Labelgrade is B- (70/100) — elite protein density and a flawless fat profile, pulled down by the sugar and the structural salt.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A+ | 98 / 100 | 32 g per 100 g — denser than chicken breast; dehydration concentrates it, capped at A+ by the formula |
| Ingredient quality | B- | 72 / 100 | Pork leads, then a real-food glaze (cane sugar, black cherry juice, tomato paste, honey, spices, vinegar) — recognizable, no artificial flavors or colors, but sugar-forward |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0 g saturated, ~0.5 g total fat per ounce — perfect, and unusually lean even for jerky |
| Sugar load | C | 64 / 100 | 9 g per ounce, almost all added — cane sugar is the #2 ingredient, with honey and molasses below |
| Sodium load | F | 10 / 100 | 320 mg per ounce — high; salt cures and preserves the meat, so the load is structural |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — expected for any pure meat product |
The honest read: protein density and fat are as good as jerky gets, but two scores drag the overall down. Fiber’s “F” is structural — no meat has fiber — and the sodium “F” is nearly as unavoidable, since salt is what makes the jerky shelf-stable. The one score that reflects a real choice Krave made is sugar: at 9 g per ounce this is a dessert-leaning glaze, not a savory cure, and that single decision is the difference between a B- and the A-range its protein could otherwise reach.
The lean-pork story is the real selling point
Most jerky picks one lane: high protein but greasy (Chomps, 6 g fat), or lean but salt-bombed (Jack Link’s, 540 mg sodium). Krave threads a narrow needle by starting from a trimmed whole-muscle pork cut. The payoff shows up in the numbers — 9 g of protein and only ~0.5 g of fat per ounce, the same protein as a Chomps stick with roughly one-twelfth the fat. That’s why an ounce lands at 80 calories instead of 90-plus. If your goal is maximum protein per calorie with minimal fat, this is genuinely one of the best meat snacks on the shelf — the lean macros are not marketing, they’re on the label.
Where the “candy meat” reputation comes from
Read the panel in order and the flavor philosophy is obvious: pork, then cane sugar — ahead of the salt and every seasoning — then black cherry juice and tomato paste, with honey and molasses sweetening it further down. That stacking is why this eats like barbecue more than like dried meat: 9 g of sugar concentrated into one ounce is roughly the sugar load of a thin cookie. It is, on the other hand, real-food sweetness (cane sugar, fruit juice, honey, molasses) with no artificial flavors, colors, or maltodextrin — which is exactly why ingredient quality still earns a B-. The honesty is in calling it what it is: a premium, dessert-adjacent jerky, not a clean-macro savory stick.
How it stacks up against the savory sticks
The three jerkies it’s graded against all take the savory road, which throws Krave’s trade-off into sharp relief:
- vs Chomps Original (C+, 67): Same 9 g of protein. Krave wins decisively on fat (~0.5 g vs 6 g) and edges it on overall grade (70 vs 67); Chomps wins on sugar (0 g vs 9 g) and a cleaner grass-fed panel. Lean-and-sweet versus fatty-and-clean.
- vs Field Trip Original (C+, 66): Krave has more protein (9 g vs 8 g) and far less fat (~0.5 g vs ~6 g), but three times the sugar (9 g vs 3 g). Field Trip stays mostly savory; Krave commits to the glaze.
- vs Jack Link’s Original Hickory (C+, 68): Jack Link’s packs the most protein per ounce of any of them (12 g) and is also lean (~1 g fat), but its 540 mg of sodium and MSG/maltodextrin/nitrite panel hold it down. Krave’s salt (320 mg) and real-food glaze grade better — so despite less protein, Krave’s B- tops Jack Link’s C+.
The through-line: every one of these carries high sodium because that’s the price of shelf-stable cured meat. The thing only Krave gives you is near-zero fat — and the thing only Krave makes you pay is the sugar.
Ingredients
Pork, cane sugar, black cherry juice, tomato paste. Contains 2% or less of: honey, sea salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, spices (including celery seed), red wine vinegar, molasses, paprika, citric acid. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 1646434.) Pork leads, as it should; the tell is that cane sugar ranks second — ahead of the salt and every spice — which is the whole reason this reads as barbecue candy rather than a savory cure.
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 oz (28 g)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 oz (28 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 80.1 |
| Protein | 9g |
| Total Fat | 0.501g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 10g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 9g |
| Sodium | 320mg |
| Cholesterol | 24.9mg |
| Calcium | 0mg |
| Iron | 0.361mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Krave Pork Jerky, Black Cherry Barbecue (3.25 oz (92 g) bag) · UPC 855002003210. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains meat, fish, or gelatin
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Krave Black Cherry Barbecue Pork Jerky?
9 g of protein per 1 oz (28 g) serving (USDA FDC 1646434) — about 32 g per 100 g, denser than cooked chicken breast by weight. That's normal for jerky: dehydration drives off the water and concentrates the protein. One ounce clears the FDA 'good source of protein' bar; the full 3.25 oz bag holds roughly 30 g.
Why is Krave so much leaner than other jerky — only 0.5 g of fat?
Krave starts from a whole pork cut and trims it rather than using fattier scrap, so each ounce carries about 0.5 g of total fat and 0 g saturated — essentially nil. That's why an ounce is only 80 calories despite 9 g of protein. For comparison, a Chomps beef stick (same 9 g protein) carries 6 g of fat. If you want protein with the least possible fat, this is one of the leanest meat snacks on the shelf.
Does Krave Black Cherry BBQ have added sugar — and how much?
Yes, and a lot for jerky: 9 g of sugar per ounce, almost all of it added. Cane sugar is the second ingredient (ahead of every seasoning), with honey and molasses lower on the panel and a little natural sugar from the black cherry juice and tomato paste. That's a candied, barbecue-glazed jerky — roughly the sugar of a thin cookie packed into one ounce. A plain savory stick like Chomps carries 0 g.
Why only a Labelgrade B- when the protein density is A+?
Two drags. Sugar scores a C (64/100) at 9 g per ounce — among the sweetest jerkies we've graded. Sodium scores an F (10/100) at 320 mg per ounce; that one is structural, since salt does the curing. The A+ protein density (98) and A+ saturated-fat score (100) pull it back up to B-. It's an honest split: the meat is excellent, the glaze is the cost.
How much sodium is in it, and is that high?
320 mg per 1 oz serving — about 14% of the 2,300 mg daily limit in a single ounce, which is high even for jerky. Salt is doing double duty as flavor and preservative, so a shelf-stable cured meat is hard to make without a lot of it. Eat the whole 3.25 oz bag and you're past 1,000 mg of sodium. It still grades better on salt than Jack Link's (540 mg per ounce).
Is this jerky keto-friendly?
No. The lean pork is keto-perfect, but the barbecue glaze adds 10 g of carbs and 9 g of sugar per ounce, which disqualifies it for low-carb eating. The sweetness is the entire point of this flavor — and also what rules it out. For keto, a sugar-free stick like Chomps (0 g sugar, 0 g carbs) is the right tool.
How does it compare to a Chomps beef stick?
Opposite trade-offs at the same 9 g of protein. Krave is far leaner (about 0.5 g fat vs 6 g) but sweet (9 g sugar vs 0 g) and built around a barbecue glaze. Chomps is fattier but sugar-free, grass-fed, and cleaner on the panel — it grades C+ (67) to Krave's B- (70), the gap coming from Krave's lower fat. Both carry the high sodium that defines the category.