This post reviews the best carnivore snacks. It can be hard to think of snack ideas when eating carnivore so we have made it easier for you and are sharing 23 carnivore diet snack ideas that are made with natural ingredients, and will help keep you full and satisfied for hours.
Disclaimer:some of the links in this post are affiliate links whereby I make a small commission if you purchase the product through that link. This does not cost you anything extra and helps me to keep this website running.
Table of Contents
- What is the carnivore diet?
- 23 carnivore diet snacks
- Frequently asked questions:
- Other health information you will want to read:
- Our expertise:
What is the carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet has been gaining popularity recently, ever since Dr. Shawn Baker appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience back in 2017. Advocates of the carnivore diet including Dr. Paul Saladino swear itcan help with many different health issuesand that is has greatly improved their own overall health.
In brief, the carnivore diet is a diet where you only eat foods that come from animals (only animal products), and avoid all plant-based foods, all processed foods, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, sugars, soy products, corn products, vegetable oil, crop oils, MSG and other additives, most dairy products, and all preservatives.
The carnivore diet is similar to a keto diet or ketogenic diet, but it is even more restrictive as it doesn't allow any vegetables of any kind or any sweeteners, even if they have zero carbs in them.
For a complete review and more information on the carnivore diet be sure to read our carnivore diet review and carnivore diet food list posts.
This mainly meat diet is quite restrictive so when looking for snacks you will need to be careful and avoid products with:
- Preservatives
- Sugar, stevia, monk fruit and any other sweeteners
- Soy or soy additives
- Teriyaki
- Vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and any other vegetable oilsor crop oils
- Natural flavours
- Artificial flavours, artificial flavoringsor artificial ingredients
- Flour and other grains
To help you find delicious snacks to help keep you full and satisfied while on a carnivore diet here is a list of the bestcarnivore diet snacks, including snacks you can make yourself and pre-made or pre-packaged snack ideas that you can buy online or at grocery stores.
23 carnivore diet snacks
Eggs
Eggs are a great carnivore dietsnack idea that can be prepared so quickly and easily. Eggs are high in protein, have zero carbs, and are sugar free.
You can prepare eggs in many different ways for snacking. Some of the easiest include:
Hard-boiled eggs - if you are short on time you can even make hard boiled eggs in the microwave!
Soft-boiled eggs - make them even quicker by cooking soft boiled eggs in the microwave.
Scrambled eggs
Plain egg omelette
Over easy eggs
Over medium eggs
Over hard eggs
Beef jerky
One of the easiest snacks to eat if you are carnivore is beef jerky. To be truly carnivore you ideally want to find beef jerky made with grass fed beef which can make it trickier to find. It can also be hard to find brands that don't use ingredients such as sugar, teriyaki, soy or artificial flavours, crop oils or vegetable oils, vegetables or natural flavours but one great option includes:
People's Choice Beef Jerky Jerky Crisps - Naked - Plain Flavour
Pork rinds
Pork rinds (also known as fried pork skins) are one of the best and easiest "grab-and-go" options you can find when on the carnivore diet and one of my personal favorite snacks.They are a great choice for a quick bite when you are in a hurry and are a great idea for things like road trips and travelling.
Just like beef jerky, as long as you are buying high-quality pork rinds that aren't cooked in vegetable or peanut oil, and don't have any sugars or artificial flavours then they make a great animal diet snack.
Pork rinds are high in protein, sugar free, and high in fat, but they can also be high in calories and salt so you don't want to make them the only snack you eat on a carnivore diet.
You can easily find pork rinds in grocery stores and online. Our favorite pork rinds include:
Epic Provisions Oven Baked Himalayan Sea Salt Pork Rinds
Southern Recipe Small Batch Chicharrones
Bacon
Bacon is one of the easiest meat products you can make when following a carnivore diet. For the healthiest option, just be sure the bacon you are using is sugar free and free from artificial flavours or preservatives. Ideally you also want to be choosing bacon that is made from pasture raised pigs to truly be considered carnivore. It's also important to note that bacon does have a high fat content so you don't want to make it the only meat you are eating.
Canned tuna
If you are looking for an easy carnivore snack at your local grocery store canned tuna is one of the easiest solutions and a great way to add more lean protein to your day.
Just be sure you get canned tuna in water rather than in oil. I prefer to get tuna with the fish bones left in as the bones are a great source of calcium and other nutrients.
Tuna is a great source of lean protein, but tuna can be high in mercury so you don't want to eat it too often or you could potentially get mercury poisoning.
Beef sticks
Beef sticks are basically what they sound like. Sticks of beef. Think pepperoni sticks but made with beef instead. They are such a tasty snack!
When on the carnivore diet you want to be sure that the beef sticks you choose do not contain any sugars, artificial flavours, natural flavours or preservatives. Look for beef sticks made with beef, water, salt, pepper and other herbs only. Some great carnivore beef stick options include:
People's Choice Sea Salt and Pepper Beef Sticks
Some popular brands of beef sticks that you will need to avoid while following a carnivore diet include Chomps beef sticks, and Lorissa's Kitchen beef sticks as they do contain ingredients that are not permitted on a carnivore diet.
Bone broth
Bone broth is such a soothing drink that is actually really easy to make yourself. Because it's made from organ meats bone broth is an excellent source of collagen which is great for your hair, nails, GI tract, skin and can even help with the pain of osteoarthritis. It also contains a number of essential nutrients as well as vitamins and minerals.
If the thought of making your own bone broth is too daunting, luckily there are many brands now offering pre-made options including:
Kettle and Fire Chicken Bone Broth
Kettle and Fire Beef Bone Broth
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is another great option that you can easily find in most grocery stores. Salmon is high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids so it's a great addition to a carnivore diet. Just be sure to choose wild smoked salmon without any sugar added.
People's Choice Jerky Crisps
Jerky crisps are a crispy, crunchy, snackable variation on traditional beef jerky. Made with high quality, 100% American beef, Jerky Crisps are lightly salted and packed with protein for an airy,easy to digest snack. They are made with only three ingredients including beef, water and salt so this snack is both carnivore and keto or low carb.
Shop for People's Choice Jerky Crisps
Prosciutto
Prosciutto is one of the easiest snacks you can find when on the carnivore diet. All grocery stores tend to carry it in their meat section which means it's easy to find even if you are travelling. Just be sure to choose a prosciutto with no added sugar that is made only with pork.
4505 Sea Salt Chicharrones
Sea salt chicharrones are fried pork rinds made from the skin from pigs' bellies and backs. The pig skin is fried in rendered pork fat and seasoned with sea salt.
The fat in the skin is fried out during this cooking process, which leads to an ultra-light, airy, and melt in your mouth texture. These pork rinds are made with humanely raised, all-natural pork with no added hormones or antibiotics and have no carbs and no sugar so they are also keto and low carb.
Shop for 4505 Sea Salt Chicharrones
Deli meat
Deli meat is a quick and easy snack option for a meat based diet, but you will have to be careful about which deli meat you buy. Most deli meat has additives, natural flavours, preservatives and sugar added so you need to be sure to buy deli meat that is just meat with no additives.
Biltong
If you are not familiar with Biltong, it is a way of preserving meat that originated in South Africa in the early 1600’s. The meat is preserved through air drying and is then immersed in vinegar and spices to give it a delicious flavour. You could either learn to make your own Biltong or you can buy pre-made Biltong. Some carnivore safe Biltong options you can buy include:
Brooklyn Biltong Naked Flavour
Brooklyn Biltong Original Flavour
Sardines
Sardines are a handy, easy-to-find snack for those on a carnivore diet. Sardines are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Be sure to look for wild caught sardines that are packed in water rather than oil and that don't have any additives or sugars.
Shop for wild caught sardines in water.
Cheese
Dairy is a bit controversial on the carnivore diet, but some types of dairy are allowed including hard cheese. In general, full-fat dairy and low lactose dairy products(in small amounts) including butter, heavy cream, ghee, and hard cheeses are considered to be carnivore compliant. So hard cheese would make a great simple snack to munch on if you are following a carnivore diet.
You could also get cheese sticks to take on the go when you are in a pinch and looking for great snacks that transport easily and can be found almost anywhere.
When it comes to softer cheese like cream cheese or cottage cheese it is controversial whether these are allowed on a carnivore diet or not. Different experts will give you different answers, so my rule of thumb is to do what works best for your body.
Salmon crisps
If you like crispy snacks you are going to love crispy salmon skins. Salmon skins are a great snack that is a nice alternative to other foods like beef jerky or pork rinds.
It can be a bit hard to find ready-made salmon crisps or salmon skins that have ingredients that are carnivore compliant, but you could also make your own if you prefer.
Canned salmon
Another great option that you can find in any grocery store and even more convenient stores is canned salmon. Just be sure to get canned salmon in water rather than oil and preferably you want to choose wild canned salmon rather than farmed canned salmon. Salmon is a great source of protein and is full of healthy fats.
Some great easy to find options include:
Wild Planet Wild Sockeye Salmon With Skin and Bones
Safe Catch Wild Pacific Pink Salmon
Beef liver crisps
Beef liver crisps are an excellent snack. These crispy beef liver snacks are filled with essential vitamins, minerals and micronutrients including folate, potassium, heme iron, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Eating organ meat is essential to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies when on a carnivore diet so this is an easy way to eat liver that is more palatable for most people.
Carnivore Aurelius works with a small family-run farm to produce these beef crisps and crunchy dehydrated livers. The ingredient list is just beef liver, purified water, and sea salt.
Liver Pate
Pate is a spreadable paste or dip that is made from the livers of different animals. The most popular types of pate include beef liver pate, chicken liver pate, and duck pate but you could make any type of pate that you prefer. Just note that most pate recipes call for vegetables such as onion so you will need to omit those from the recipe to be truly carnivore or read ingredients list carefully if you are buying pre-made pate. To make it truly carnivore ideally you want to make pate from gras-fed beef liver.
Steak bites
Steak bites are exactly what they sound like. Small pieces of steak. Grill an extra steak or two when you make it and then have leftover steak to cut into bites for the next few days. And don't worry, if you forgot to take your steak out of the freezer you can evencook it from frozenin an air fryer(and yes it still tastes amazing).
Sausages
Sausages are easy meat snacks when you are an animal based diet or living a carnivore lifestyle. You can snack on chicken sausages, beef sausages or pork sausages. Just make sure the sausages you get are just meat and spices, with no sugars or artificial additives or preservatives.
Carnivore chips
The brand Carnivore Snax makes chips or crisps out of different types of meat. These crispy snacks are specifically designed for those on a carnivore diet. You have many options to choose from including New York Strip, Leg of Lamb, Pork Loin, Eye of Round, Ribeye, Pork Sliders and more.
Carnivore crisps
Carnivore crisps are crispy carnivore snacks made from grass fed beef. They come in a few different flavours including ribeye, and brisket. They are made with just three ingredients including beef, water and salt so they are a simple snack option that works great for travelling or hiking because the small bags are a nice grab-and-go size.
If you have any other carnivore snacks or great ideas that you love please let me know and I will add them to this list.
Frequently asked questions:
Can you have treats on the carnivore diet?
No you cannot. Some carnivore experts do allow people to have some fruit, but desserts or treats of any kind are not allowed.
What chips can you have on carnivore?
You can eat pork rinds, salmon crisps, beef crisps and other meat crisps but foods like potato chips or other vegetable chips are not allowed.
How do you satisfy a sweet tooth on carnivore?
This is hard to do. Some experts allow people to eat limited fruit while on the carnivore diet so that would be your best bet.
Other health information you will want to read:
- Why grains are not healthy
- Is there mercury in your mascara?
- Is there benzene in your sunscreen?
- How to choose safe cookware
- Are candles toxic?
Our expertise:
Dr. Erin Carter, MD, FRCPC, is a physician with board certifications in internal medicine and rheumatology. She is passionate about nutrition, environmental health and low toxicity living and has been doing research and publishing information in this area for years. She is also a self-trained chef and has been creating and publishing recipes since 2015. Her recipes have been featured on many different websites and online publications.
DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!
