Carnivore Diet Snacks: 10 Healthy Carnivore Snacks To Try In 2024

The relatively new carnivore diet was inspired by earlier ketogenic diets. There are also many carnivore diet snacks to choose from if you decide to try this diet.

The carnivore diet is fairly restrictive and excludes all non-meat food groups. However, there are many tasty options that we will share in this article.

The carnivore diet offers several potential health benefits. These include lowering blood sugar and inflammation, aiding in weight loss, and enhancing the body’s resistance to disease.

Selecting snacks for the carnivore diet can be more challenging than other diets. If you are wondering “What snacks can I eat on the carnivore diet?”, this review will teach you how to sustain your meal plan. You will also understand common pitfalls experienced with such a diet plan and how to avoid them.

10 Healthy Carnivore Diet Snack Ideas

A carnivore diet can be demanding and put your patience to the test. However, having healthy snack options provides more variety and can make the diet easier to follow.  

Here are some carnivore snack ideas to go along with your main courses:

Beef Jerky

Beef jerky is simply dried salted meat that has been cut into strips. Salting the meat prevents bacterial contamination and preserves the meat. Low-temperature drying methods^[1] are used, but smoking and curing meat can also be used.

Boiled Eggs

A boiled egg is a traditional snack idea for the carnivore meal plan. Eggs are high in protein and healthy fats while low in carbohydrates. They’re also highly satisfying. 

Liver Crisps

Grass-fed beef liver crisps with sea salt are a snack high in potassium, folate, and animal-based heme iron.^[2] Heme iron is the iron found in meat that is more readily absorbed by the body.

 Grass-fed liver crips have a milder flavor than sautéed or seared beef liver crisps. However, be wary of flavored liver crisps because they may contain onion, which is not recommended for carnivores.

Beef Sticks

Beef sticks are carb-free, delicious, and simple to make. They are also very satisfying, but many beef sticks contain preservatives and soy additives that do not meet carnivore meal standards check the ingredients to ensure they suit the carnivore’s eating plan.

Canned Tuna

Canned tuna is a convenient snack for the carnivore diet. It contains a variety of nutrients, including protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The best tuna is packed in water rather than oil and contains no added sugars or artificial ingredients.

Pork Rinds

Pork rinds^[3] are not the healthiest option but are a tasty treat on a cheat day. Fried pork skins made from pig skin can be prepared by roasting, baking, rendering, or frying in fat. 

The fat shrinks when fried but contains a lot of protein, fatty acids, sodium, and Vitamin B-12.

Cracklings

Cracklings, or scratchings, are a byproduct of rendering animal fat and skin into tallow, lard, or schmaltz. Cracklings can be made from pork, chicken, goose, mutton, or ground beef, but pig shoulder is the most common. They are very calorie-dense, with 80 calories in just 0.5 ounces.^[4] Therefore, they should be eaten sparingly, especially if you’re watching your weight. 

Lunch Meats

Lunch meat is pre-cooked and cured meat that is sliced. It can be served on a tray or with a carnivore breakfast sandwich. It is also known as deli meat, cold cuts, sliced, sandwich, or cold meats. Lunch meats include ham, roast beef, and turkey. 

However, some deli meat is highly processed, is high in sodium, and contains artificial preservatives. These do not align with a carnivore meal hence should only be an option during cheat days. Pre-packaged lunch meat is high in sodium^[5] and should be consumed in moderation.

Cheese

The carnivore diet allows for a little hard cheese as a satisfying snack. Hard, aged cheeses such as feta, swiss, and parmesan are permitted on the diet. 

Low-lactose products such as ghee, kefir, and cottage cheese sticks are also allowed. However, due to their high sodium and high saturated fat content, cheese products are not the healthiest and should be consumed in moderation.

Carnivore Bar

Carnivore bars are made up of meat, tallow, and salt. A carnivore bar contains a lot of healthy fat and protein, making it a ketogenic meal. However, the fat content of different carnivore bars varies depending on the manufacturer. 

They are all typically high in fat, which promotes satiety. 

What Is The Carnivore Diet?

A carnivore diet meal plan is an adaptation of a ketogenic diet. It foregoes plant-based foods in favor of obtaining all or nearly all nutrients from animal-based foods. Meat, fish, eggs, bone broth, and certain dairy products are all included. The carnivore diet is low in nutrients like fiber but high in healthy fats and sodium. It stems from the belief that earlier civilizations primarily ate a fish and meat diet and sustained excellent health. Additionally, the high carbohydrate content of most modern diets is associated with chronic diseases.

Unlike the paleo and keto diets, the carnivore diet restricts all carbs. This level of restriction has its own advantages and disadvantages. 

For example, it eliminates tasty foods like cakes, cookies, and pasta. But by discouraging sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and highly processed foods, you may reduce your risk of diseases like diabetes.

Foods To Avoid On Snacks For Carnivore Diet

If you are committed to a carnivore meal plan, you are restricted in the variety of foods you may consume. Fruits, vegetables, vegetable oil, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are prohibited. 

To follow a carnivore meal plan, you must only consume animal-based foods. However, not all animal products are appropriate for a carnivore meal plan. Here are some common foods to avoid when choosing a carnivore meal:

​Processed Meats

The artificial additives^[6] in processed meat products like sausages, salami, and beef jerky may be detrimental to the carnivore diet. When selecting your meat choices, limit processed meats as much as possible. 

Sauces

Sauces can be tempting, especially when following a strict diet such as the carnivore meal plan. They are high in carbohydrates, directly contradicting the carnivore eating plan’s primary rule. Additionally, cream-based sauces can contain high-calorie thickeners.

Alcohol

Alcohol, beer, spirits, and wine are high in carbohydrates^[7] and can cause blood sugar spikes. Beer, for example, has starch as one of its primary ingredients and is high in carbohydrates, which does not align with the carnivore diet principles.

Nuts And Seeds

Nuts and seeds can provide much-needed energy, but they are high in fats and carbohydrates. Overdoing it on nuts and seeds during the day is easy, and the calories can quickly add up. Enjoy these in moderation as a portion-controlled snack.  

Lean Meat

Lean meat is an excellent source of protein. However, it is not calorie-rich enough for the carnivore diet. To function properly on a carnivore eating plan, your body requires calories. Lean meat is disqualified from the carnivore meal plan due to low-calorie content.

Protein Powders

Protein powders help to build muscle, repair tissue, and produce enzymes and hormones. However, most powders contain herbs and additives not permitted in the carnivore meal plan. The best protein powders have carnivore-friendly ingredients but can be challenging to find.

The Takeaway

Many experts say the carnivore diet is bad without suggesting healthy substitutes like weight loss supplements. Supplements might be a better option if you want to lose weight but lack the patience to skip your favorite meals for months.

However, if you’d rather focus on diet and not take a supplement, you just need to consume only animal-based foods. In this way, a carnivore meal plan may be simpler than many other alternative diet plans. This article uses these carnivore snack options and food recommendations to ensure you’re following the carnivore diet correctly. This will enable you to reap the biggest benefits of it.

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