Slim Jim Nutrition Facts 2026: Giant, Monster & Snack Size — Calories, Protein, and Sodium per Stick

A Slim Jim is not beef jerky — it is a fermented, smoked sausage stick made from beef, pork, and mechanically separated chicken, which is why it has dramatically more fat and fewer grams of protein per calorie than flat beef jerky. The Giant size (0.97 oz / 27.5g) delivers 6g of protein at 130 calories with 460mg of sodium and 10g of fat, making it a low-carb convenience snack, not a protein-optimized one. By comparison, one ounce of Jack Link’s Original Beef Jerky delivers 10g of protein at just 80 calories with the same sodium. That gap matters for anyone buying Slim Jim specifically for protein. All nutrition figures below are cross-verified from multiple retail label sources for 2026; any figure with meaningful variation across sources is noted.

Affiliate links — if you buy through them we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nutrition figures from Conagra’s 2026 published label data as reported across multiple verified retail sources.

Slim Jim Nutrition Facts: Full Label by Size

Slim Jim sells the same Original recipe in four main stick sizes at US retail. The Giant (0.97 oz) is the standard single-serve convenience store size; the Monster (1.94 oz) is the large impulse-buy size; the Snack Size (0.28 oz) sells in multipacks. All figures are per stick (one serving for Giant and Monster; the Snack Size label uses a serving of 4 sticks).

Values for Giant and Monster from Conagra’s 2026 published label data. Mild Giant and Pepperoni Giant values corroborated across retail listings; figures marked “~” are cross-source estimates. Pepperoni Giant has higher fat and calories than Original due to the pepperoni seasoning blend. Note: some older catalog entries show 2g total carbs for the Giant; the current 5g figure is consistent with caloric math (130 cal − [10g × 9] − [6g × 4] = ~16 residual calories ≈ 4–5g carbs) and is corroborated by current retail listings. Net carbs for the Giant are approximately 4g (5g total minus 1g fiber).

Slim Jim Snack Size Stick (0.28 oz) Nutrition

The Snack Size sticks are the smallest Slim Jim format, sold in 14-count and 26-count multipacks. The label defines one serving as 4 sticks (32g total / ~1.1 oz). Per 4 sticks:

Snack Size figures from Amazon product listings and retail label descriptions. Note that the label’s “6g protein per serving” refers to 4 sticks, not 1 stick — a common source of confusion when comparing against the Giant’s 6g per single stick.

What Is a Slim Jim? (It’s Not Beef Jerky)

Slim Jim is a fermented, smoked sausage stick — a different product category from flat beef jerky. The key difference is the production method and ingredient composition. Flat jerky (Jack Link’s, Old Trapper, Chomps) is made from whole-muscle beef cuts that are marinated and dried, concentrating the protein and removing most of the fat and moisture. A Slim Jim is made from a ground meat mixture (beef, pork, and mechanically separated chicken) that is stuffed into a casing, fermented with a lactic acid starter culture, and smoke-dried into a shelf-stable product. The result is a food much closer in composition to a pepperoni stick than to jerky.

This production difference explains why Slim Jim has higher fat content and lower protein density than flat jerky: the ground-meat-plus-fat base retains more fat during drying than a whole-muscle cut would. It also explains the characteristic tangy flavor from the fermentation process — the same chemistry that gives pepperoni and summer sausage their distinctive taste.

Slim Jim Ingredients

Original Slim Jim ingredients (from the current published label): Beef, Pork, Mechanically Separated Chicken, Water, Textured Soy Flour, Corn Syrup, Salt, and less than 2% of: Natural Flavors, Dextrose, Paprika and Extractives of Paprika, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Maltodextrin, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Barley Malt Extract, Citric Acid, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Nitrite.

Points worth noting for label-readers:

• Mechanically Separated Chicken (MSC): Meat paste produced by forcing chicken (including bones) through a sieve under pressure. It is a legal and FDA-approved ingredient, but it is a significantly lower-quality cut than the “beef” listed first. MSC is a common ingredient in hot dogs, bologna, and sausage sticks.
• Textured Soy Flour: A soy-protein filler that adds protein and texture. Slim Jim is not soy-free — this is a relevant allergen disclosure for people with soy sensitivities.
• Corn Syrup + Dextrose + Maltodextrin: Three carbohydrate ingredients. Together they account for the 5g of total carbs per Giant stick. The added sugars panel shows 0g because none of these are “added sugars” as defined by FDA (corn syrup and dextrose in fermented products are converted by the lactic acid starter culture, and the small residual amount rounds to 0g added sugar).
• Sodium Nitrite: The standard cured-meat preservative. Provides the pink/red color and inhibits bacterial growth including Clostridium botulinum. Present in nearly all commercially cured meats.
• No MSG: Slim Jim does not list monosodium glutamate in its ingredient list. The umami flavor comes from hydrolyzed soy protein and the fermentation process.

Slim Jim vs. Beef Jerky and Meat Sticks: Protein Density Comparison

The most meaningful comparison when evaluating a protein snack is protein per 100 calories, not total grams. Slim Jim’s protein density is significantly lower than flat jerky because of its higher fat content.

Key takeaways from this comparison:

• Jack Link’s and Old Trapper jerky deliver nearly 3× more protein per calorie than Slim Jim. The tradeoff is that jerky contains 6g of added sugar per serving vs. 0g in Slim Jim.
• Chomps hits 10g of protein per 100 calories with zero added sugar and less sodium (280mg vs. 460mg). See the full Chomps nutrition breakdown for all varieties.
• Slim Jim has the lowest protein density of any product in this comparison, because it’s a sausage stick, not a jerky.
• Slim Jim has the lowest added sugar in this group — tied with Chomps at 0g — which matters for keto and diabetic diets.

Is Slim Jim Keto-Friendly?

Yes — with a caveat. The Original Giant stick has approximately 4g of net carbs (5g total carbs minus 1g fiber) and 0g of added sugar. That makes it compatible with most ketogenic diets that limit net carbs to 20–50g per day. The Monster stick (1.94 oz) has about 8g net carbs, which requires more budgeting. The corn syrup in the ingredient list sounds alarming for keto, but the actual carb content on the label is 5g per Giant stick — a meaningful but manageable amount. Conagra also sells a “Slim Jim Keto Certified” line (0.44 oz and other sizes) that specifically targets the keto market; check the individual label for exact carb counts on that variant.

Is Slim Jim a Good Protein Snack?

Buy Slim Jim if: you need a cheap, portable, shelf-stable meat snack with zero refrigeration requirements; you are following a keto or low-sugar diet and want a savory snack with 0g added sugar; you are not specifically optimizing for protein per calorie (6g for 130 calories is moderate, not high); or you want a gas-station/convenience-store protein option and don’t have access to better choices. Slim Jim Giant sticks cost around $1–$1.50 individually, or as little as $0.40–$0.60 per stick in 100-count bulk packs, making them one of the most affordable shelf-stable meat snacks per serving.

Skip Slim Jim if: you are trying to maximize protein per calorie — Jack Link’s jerky delivers nearly 3× more protein at the same calorie count; you are avoiding sodium (460mg per Giant stick is 20% of the daily recommended limit); you have a soy allergy (contains textured soy flour and hydrolyzed soy protein); you want a clean-label, whole-muscle meat stick with no additives — Chomps or Country Archer are the cleaner alternatives; or you are concerned about mechanically separated chicken in your food. See our Chomps nutrition guide, best beef jerky for protein, and best high-protein meat sticks for alternatives ranked by nutrition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much protein is in a Slim Jim?

A Slim Jim Original Giant stick (0.97 oz) contains 6g of protein per stick. The Monster size (1.94 oz) contains 11g of protein. The small Snack Size multipacks contain approximately 1.5g of protein per individual stick (6g for the recommended serving of 4 sticks). Protein per 100 calories is 4.6g for the Giant — significantly lower than flat beef jerky (10–13g per 100 calories) because Slim Jim is a sausage-style product made from a ground-meat mixture, not dried whole-muscle beef.

How many calories are in a Slim Jim?

The Original Giant Slim Jim (0.97 oz) has 130 calories per stick. The Monster Slim Jim (1.94 oz) has 250 calories. The Pepperoni Giant has 150 calories per stick due to its higher fat content from the pepperoni seasoning. The small Snack Size sticks (0.28 oz) have approximately 40 calories per individual stick (160 calories for the 4-stick labeled serving).

How much sodium is in a Slim Jim?

A Slim Jim Original Giant stick contains 460mg of sodium, which is 20% of the FDA’s recommended daily limit of 2,300mg. The Monster size (1.94 oz) contains 910mg — nearly 40% of the daily limit in a single stick. The sodium comes from salt and the sodium nitrite preservative. People following a low-sodium diet (<1,500mg per day for cardiovascular reasons) should note that a single Monster Slim Jim accounts for over 60% of that stricter limit.

What is Slim Jim made of?

Slim Jim’s primary ingredients are beef, pork, and mechanically separated chicken — a paste produced by forcing chicken through a sieve under pressure. It also contains textured soy flour, corn syrup, and sodium nitrite. It is closer in composition to a pepperoni stick than to traditional beef jerky. The fermented, smoked sausage production method (using a lactic acid starter culture) gives Slim Jim its characteristic tangy flavor and contributes to its higher fat content compared with flat dried jerky.

Is Slim Jim healthy?

By mainstream nutrition standards, Slim Jim is a processed meat snack with high sodium (460–910mg per serving), moderate saturated fat (3.5–7g), and moderate protein (6–11g). It is not a health food. The World Health Organization classifies all processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens (the same group as tobacco) based on an association with colorectal cancer at high consumption levels; occasional consumption at typical snack quantities is considered very low risk by most health agencies, but regular daily consumption is not recommended. For a higher-quality meat snack with a shorter ingredient list and no mechanically separated chicken, see our review of Chomps beef sticks, which uses grass-fed beef and no added sugar.

Bottom line: Slim Jim is one of the most recognized shelf-stable meat snacks in the US, and it delivers a real 6g of protein per Giant stick at 130 calories — but its protein density (4.6g per 100 calories) is among the lowest in the meat snack category because it is a fermented sausage, not dried beef. The 460mg of sodium per Giant stick (40% from the Monster) deserves attention for anyone watching sodium intake. For pure protein efficiency, flat beef jerky like Jack Link’s (10g/80 cal) or Chomps (10g/100 cal, 0g added sugar) are substantially better choices. Slim Jim’s strengths are price (around $0.40–$1.50 per stick depending on format), universal availability at gas stations and convenience stores, zero added sugar, and low net carbs — making it a defensible choice for low-carb and keto budgets where convenience is the priority. For options ranked by actual protein density, see our best high-protein meat sticks guide and the full best beef jerky for protein comparison.