We’re jumping the gun on this week’s STM feature to bring you exciting news! For the last two months, we’ve been chatting it up with Primal Pacs, a “Paleo” snack company out of the Seattle, WA, area. We tried their kits back in October, and really liked the flavor of their jerky and the interesting inclusion of mango and Marcona almonds. When we flipped the bag over, however, we discovered the best part about the Pacs… no added sugar in their ingredient list, not even in the jerky! We’ve been looking for a Whole30-worthy emergency snack kit for a long time, so we immediately called Primal Pacs and started talking jerky.
The first snack kit approved for your Whole30 program
Based on our conversations, we are happy to announce that Primal Pacs is the first ever Whole9 approved – AND Whole30 squeaky-clean! – snack pack. We’ve had long calls with Matt Pierce, the owner of Primal Pacs, to talk about his ingredient list, and did our own independent research to verify the quality of his beef sources. We could not have been happier with the results – Primal Pacs’ commitment to high quality ingredients, healthy animal protein sourcing and delicious flavor without the additives or sweeteners really impressed us. And the fact that it tastes better than any “Paleo” snack kit we’ve ever tried doesn’t hurt, either!
Meeting our strict “Whole9 Approved” criteria
Jerky: Primal Pacs sources their beef from local sources in northern California and Washington. All beef is grass-fed and organically raised, although not all the farms have been through the expensive and time-consuming certification process. Matt Pierce says, “Right now I am working on legally being able to call the product grass-fed on the label. Because of a number of issues with the USDA, this will most likely take a while to achieve – it’s all very convoluted. In the end, the beef is from good sources and is raised and processed in a responsible manner.” After doing our research, we are comfortable that the jerky used by Primal Pacs is of the highest quality, both with respect to your health and the animal’s health and welfare. In addition – and this is HUGE – their jerky is not sweetened! No sulfites, nitrates/nitrites or other artificial preservatives either – Whole30 approved!
Dried Fruit: Primal Pacs uses cranberries sweetened with apple juice. We know, apple juice is technically “sugar”, but fruit juice is Whole30 approved, and cranberries don’t sweeten themselves. We were more than okay with this one small concession, given the number of cranberries in each kit is small. The bulk of the carbohydrates come from the dried mango, which has a modest sugar content with no added sweeteners. Finally, neither of the dried fruits contain sulfites or other preservatives.
Nuts: Their macadamias are dry roasted (no vegetable oils!) and unsalted, as are their Marcona almonds. We like the macadamias for their high monounsaturated fat content, and Marcona almonds make for a really nice flavor change from traditional almonds.
Special savings, this weekend only
Order your Whole9 approved Primal Pacs snack kits or bulk order some jerky between now and Saturday December 11th, and enjoy free shipping! (No discount code required.)
Visit http://primalpacs.com/ to place your order, and fan them on Facebook to stay on top of product announcements and promotions.
And now, just a little reminder… Primal Pacs, while delicious and healthy, shouldn’t replace your built-on-real-food MealSimple™ breakfasts, lunches and dinners. They’re a great, portable snack when you’re on the go, but don’t rely on them as your primary nutrition source! Have you tried their kits, love their jerky, used their snacks in a tight food spot (like we have while snowboarding)? Talk about it in comments.
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I’m SUPER excited! Just ordered 25 small packs… can’t wait to try ’em!
Very exciting. Especially the potential for long flights, and all day outdoor snowboarding, mountain biking, etc.
Primal Pacs are great! I’ve been promoting them at my gym since their inception, and my clients love them!
Having eaten well over 50 PP’s, (including one for a snack today) I can attest to their awesomeness. Matt, the owner, even replied personally to my email when I asked about the sugar content and source in the Pacs. (See Whole9–you guys taught me well!)
They are a huge asset on airplanes, or any trip. Even my non Paleo friends love their jerky.
I’m with Steve. PP’s are excellent!!! I really like that I can order just jerky!!!! I live near seattle. So I just email matt with my order and then pick up. My boys like them too :>)!!!!!
just ordered some to leave in the car for emergencies
Ok, I give them a try. Probably better boat snacks than vienna sausages and nabs, eh? ;)
Sounds delicious! I love homemade jerky!
And they are planning on shipping international! Woot.
Captain Tom,
Umm, yes. That’s all I have to say about that. ;)
I got mine in the mail today. They list sugar in the ingredients right after the cranberries. It doesn’t say apple juice, so are these still okay? Thanks.
I just went and looked at your link and it says apple juice on that one. Mine don’t. Guess my hubby can eat them for snacks at work.
Peggie – we’re going to look into this for you ASAP. They used to use cranberries sweetened with sugar, but as of November 3rd, all of their cranberries were going to be sweetened with apple juice. (I have an email from the owner to that effect.) Perhaps they’re using old labels? I’ll send a note to PP and let you know.
Best,
Melissa
Peggie:
From Matt Pierce, owner of Primal Pacs: “Those are old labels. I am phasing out the old label and printing up the ones shown on the site ASAP. People can refer to the labels displayed on the site for the current ingredient list. I will be including a flyer in my future orders explaining the discrepancy until we switch over to the new ones. Sorry for the confusion.”
So, your PP are Whole30 clean! Thanks for writing.
Best,
Melissa
Thanks for checking that out Melissa!!!
I took a pack to the movies today for my snack. it was great.
@ElizabethJ: Nice! We just packed up 100 ounces (for real!) of the jerky for our Mexico trip. The squeaky clean Pacs are a total lifesaver in travel “emergencies”.
Melissa
What about Paleo Kits? http://stevesoriginal.com/cart/paleokit/ The ingredient label is pure paleo and all the proceeds go “directly to Steve’s Club – our non-profit organization focused on enhancing the lives of disadvantaged youth” (quote from stevesoriginal.com). In short, Steve’s Club is a non-profit Crossfit gym for low-income, at-risk youth in Cambden, NJ. We love his paleo kits and love that they go to support the youth.
Aileah,
We’ve used Paleo Kits in the past, and we love that they go to support a noble venture. The two products are similar, though (based on our information about sources), the beef in Primal Pacs is a higher quality (grass-fed, uncertified but organic by practice), and PPs contain waaaaaayy less sugar than Paleo Kits. Ultimately, though, if you feel strongly enough to support Steve’s Club with your purchase, we applaud you for that.
Can you buy these at any health food stores in CA?
@Brian: Not yet, they’re currently only available on line. (But the owners are working on getting them into stores as we speak!)
Best,
Melissa
I am so glad I found this. We usually try to make our own snacks for hikes, trips, etc but these look good to have on hand. Plus they are in my neck of the woods.
Thanks
I was reading the ingredients on a package I bought from them and it says sugar?!
oops- nevermind, got my answer in the comments!