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100% Animal-Based
Carnivore Diet Snacks: 15 Animal-Based Options I Actually Eat
This is the guide I'm most passionate about writing. I follow a carnivore-style diet myself because I believe animal foods are the most nutrient-dense, bioavailable foods on earth. No plant toxins like oxalates, lectins, or phytates. No pesticides sprayed on my food. No anti-nutrients blocking mineral absorption. Just pure, ancestral nutrition.
The carnivore diet has helped me reduce inflammation, improve mental clarity, and feel better than I have in years. If you're exploring this way of eating, or already committed to it, finding truly carnivore-compliant snacks can be challenging. Most "meat snacks" contain hidden sugars, plant seasonings, or seed oils. I've vetted these 15 options to ensure they meet strict carnivore standards.
Why I Eat Carnivore
Animal foods provide complete protein, highly bioavailable nutrients, and essential fatty acids without the plant compounds that cause problems for many people. The carnivore diet eliminates grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, foods that humans only started eating in large quantities after the agricultural revolution.
What I Eat:
- • Beef, lamb, pork, bison (grass-fed when possible)
- • Fish and seafood (wild-caught)
- • Eggs (pasture-raised)
- • Organ meats (liver, heart, nutrient powerhouses)
- • Animal fats (tallow, lard, butter)
What I Avoid:
- • All plant foods (yes, all of them)
- • Seed oils (canola, soybean, sunflower)
- • Sugars and sweeteners
- • Plant seasonings (garlic, onion powder)
- • Anything processed with plant ingredients
Quick Comparison: Best Carnivore Snacks at a Glance
| Product | Best For | Protein | Carbs | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnivore Snax Ribeye Chips | Purest Option | 10g | 0g | Amazon |
| Carnivore Crisps Beef | Crunch Factor | 11g | 0g | Amazon |
| Chomps Beef Sticks | Everyday Snack | 10g | 0g | Amazon |
| 4505 Chicharrones | Chip Alternative | 8g | 0g | Amazon |
| Epic Beef Liver Bites | Organ Nutrition | 9g | 0g | Amazon |
| Hard-Boiled Eggs | Complete Nutrition | 6g | 0.5g | Amazon |
| Whisps Cheese Crisps | Crunchy (if dairy) | 12g | 1g | Amazon |
| Wild Sardines | Omega-3s | 13g | 0g | Amazon |
| Bone Broth | Gut Health | 10g | 0g | Amazon |
| Beef Tallow | Pure Fat Energy | 0g | 0g | Amazon |
| Pemmican | Traditional Survival | 8g | 0g | Amazon |
| Moon Cheese | Portable Cheese | 11g | 0g | Amazon |
| Canned Wild Salmon | Convenience | 20g | 0g | Amazon |
| Beef Heart Crisps | CoQ10 Source | 12g | 0g | Amazon |
| Grass-Fed Butter | Fat Bomb | 0g | 0g | Amazon |
15 Best Carnivore Diet Snacks: Detailed Reviews
1. Carnivore Snax Ribeye Chips - Best Overall
Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 0g | Ingredients: Beef, Salt
Carnivore Snax makes the purest meat chips available. Their ribeye chips contain exactly two ingredients: grass-fed beef and sea salt. Nothing else. They're air-dried into crispy chips that satisfy the crunch craving while delivering pure animal nutrition. The ribeye variety has excellent fat marbling. They also make lamb, bison, and pork loin versions. These are my go-to when I need something portable. Not cheap, but you're paying for quality grass-fed meat.Best for: Purest carnivore option with zero additives.
Check Price on Amazon2. Carnivore Crisps Beef - Best Crunch Factor
Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 0g | Ingredients: Beef, Salt
Carnivore Crisps takes beef (eye of round, heart, liver) and crisps it into thin, crunchy chips. The texture is remarkably chip-like, crispy and satisfying. Their beef heart crisps are particularly nutrient-dense, providing CoQ10 and B vitamins you won't get from muscle meat. The liver crisps are nature's multivitamin in snack form. If you're not eating organ meats in your main meals, these are an easy way to incorporate them.Best for: Satisfying crunch and organ meat nutrition.
Check Price on Amazon3. Chomps Grass-Fed Beef Sticks - Best Everyday Snack
Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 0g | Sugar: 0g
Chomps is the most accessible carnivore-friendly meat stick. 100% grass-fed beef, Whole30 approved, zero sugar, zero carbs. The ingredient list is clean: beef, water, sea salt, and spices (black pepper). For strict carnivores who avoid all spices, the Original flavor with just salt exists. These are widely available at Costco, Whole Foods, and online. I keep a box in my desk for when I need quick protein.Best for: Everyday grab-and-go protein.
Check Price on Amazon4. 4505 Chicharrones - Best Chip Alternative
Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 0g | Ingredients: Pork Skin, Pork Fat, Salt
When you're craving chips on carnivore, pork rinds are the answer, but most brands are garbage, fried in seed oils with plant-based seasonings. 4505 does it right: pork skins fried in pork fat with salt. That's it. The Classic Chili & Salt adds chili pepper, which some strict carnivores avoid. Stick with their Sea Salt variety for pure animal ingredients. Excellent crunch, good protein, and you're getting collagen from the skin.Best for: Chip cravings with collagen benefits.
Check Price on Amazon5. Epic Beef Liver Bites - Best Organ Meat
Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 0g | Per Serving
Liver is the most nutrient-dense food on earth, packed with vitamin A, B12, copper, and folate. But many people struggle to eat it. Epic makes liver approachable by seasoning and drying it into portable bites. Note: Epic products sometimes contain fruit or spices, so check ingredient lists. Their "Beef Liver" variety is cleaner than flavored versions. If you're not eating liver weekly, these help fill the nutritional gap.Best for: Getting organ meat nutrition the easy way.
Check Price on Amazon6. Hard-Boiled Eggs - Best Budget Option
Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 0.5g | Per Large Egg
The perfect carnivore snack, complete protein, healthy fats, choline, B vitamins, and virtually every essential nutrient. Eggs from pasture-raised hens have better omega-3 profiles and more nutrients. I prep a dozen on Sunday and keep them in the fridge all week. Sprinkle with salt (or everything bagel seasoning if you're flexible on spices). Simple, cheap, nutritious. Hard to beat.Best for: Complete nutrition at the lowest cost.
Check Price on Amazon7. Whisps Parmesan Cheese Crisps - Best Crunchy Dairy
Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 1g | Ingredients: Parmesan Cheese
If you include dairy in your carnivore approach, Whisps are excellent. The ingredient list is literally just "Parmesan cheese", baked into crispy chips. 12g protein, satisfying crunch, and that savory cheese flavor. Some strict carnivores exclude dairy; others thrive on it. I tolerate dairy well, so these are in my rotation. The cheddar and gouda varieties are also single-ingredient.Best for: Crunchy cheese snacking (if you tolerate dairy).
Check Price on Amazon8. Wild-Caught Sardines - Best for Omega-3s
Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 0g | Omega-3s: 1.5g
Sardines are underrated. They're wild-caught (no farmed fish concerns), high in omega-3s, and you eat the whole fish, bones included for calcium. Look for sardines packed in olive oil or water, not soybean oil. King Oscar, Wild Planet, and Season are good brands. I eat sardines straight from the can with salt. Some people add them to eggs. An acquired taste, but nutritionally outstanding.Best for: Omega-3s and whole-fish nutrition.
Check Price on Amazon9. Bone Broth - Best for Gut Health
Protein: 10g | Fat: 0-2g | Carbs: 0g | Collagen: 9g
Bone broth is liquid gold for carnivores. It provides collagen (joint health, gut lining, skin), glycine (sleep, detox), and minerals extracted from bones. Make your own by simmering beef or chicken bones for 24+ hours, or buy quality brands like Kettle & Fire or Bonafide. Drink it warm as a snack, use it as a base for cooking, or sip it to break a fast. The gelatin content supports digestive health.Best for: Gut health and collagen support.
Check Price on Amazon10. Grass-Fed Beef Tallow - Best Pure Fat Energy
Fat: 14g | Protein: 0g | Carbs: 0g | Per Tablespoon
This might sound strange as a "snack," but a spoonful of tallow provides instant energy and satiation. Beef tallow is rendered beef fat, the traditional cooking fat before seed oils took over. It's heat-stable, nutrient-dense (vitamins A, D, E, K), and delicious. I use it for cooking everything, but sometimes I'll have a spoonful straight when I need quick energy without the protein. Fatworks and Epic make quality grass-fed tallow.Best for: Pure fat energy and cooking versatility.
Check Price on Amazon11. Traditional Pemmican - Best Survival Food
Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 0g | Per Serving
Pemmican is the original survival food, dried meat ground with rendered fat, sometimes with dried berries (skip those for strict carnivore). It sustained indigenous peoples and fur traders for centuries. Properly made pemmican contains only beef and tallow, shelf-stable, calorie-dense, and satisfying. US Wellness Meats makes a carnivore-compliant version. It's an acquired taste and texture, but historically proven nutrition. Check Price on Amazon12. Moon Cheese - Best Travel-Friendly
Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 0g | Ingredients: Cheese
Moon Cheese is real cheese that's been dried and crisped into shelf-stable snacks. Just cheese, no additives, no plant ingredients. The Cheddar and Gouda varieties are single-ingredient. If you're a carnivore who includes dairy, these are excellent for travel and desk snacking. The crunch is satisfying, and 11g of protein per serving is substantial. Check Price on Amazon13. Canned Wild Salmon - Best High-Protein
Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 0g | Omega-3s: 1.8g
Wild-caught canned salmon is convenient, affordable, and nutritious. Look for wild (not farmed) salmon packed in water. The bones are soft and edible, eat them for calcium. Wild Planet and Vital Choice are quality brands. I'll eat a can straight with salt, or mash it with butter and egg yolk. High in omega-3s, protein, and vitamin D. Stock your pantry. Check Price on Amazon14. Beef Heart Crisps - Best CoQ10 Source
Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Carbs: 0g | CoQ10: High
Beef heart is the richest natural source of CoQ10, essential for heart health and cellular energy. Carnivore Crisps makes dried beef heart chips that are surprisingly tasty. The texture is crispy, and the flavor is milder than you'd expect. If you're not eating fresh heart, these are an easy way to get this vital organ meat into your diet. Your heart eating heart. Check Price on Amazon15. Grass-Fed Butter or Ghee - Best Fat Bomb
Fat: 11g | Protein: 0g | Carbs: 0g | Per Tablespoon
For carnivores who include dairy, grass-fed butter is nature's fat bomb. Kerrygold, Vital Farms, and Organic Valley Pasture-Raised are quality options. Ghee (clarified butter) removes the milk solids, making it suitable for those with lactose sensitivity. I cook everything in butter and sometimes just eat a pat with salt. The fat provides sustained energy and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Check Price on AmazonHidden Non-Carnivore Ingredients to Watch For
Common Offenders in "Meat" Snacks
- Sugars: Brown sugar, cane sugar, honey, dextrose
- Plant Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika
- Seed Oils: Sunflower, soybean, canola oil
- Fillers: Maltodextrin, corn starch, soy protein
What Clean Labels Look Like
- Beef Sticks: "Beef, Water, Sea Salt"
- Pork Rinds: "Pork Skin, Pork Fat, Salt"
- Cheese Crisps: "Parmesan Cheese" (single ingredient)
- Meat Chips: "Beef, Salt" or "Lamb, Salt"
Frequently Asked Questions
What snacks can you eat on the carnivore diet?
Carnivore diet snacks include only animal products: beef jerky and sticks (with no sugar or plant seasonings), pork rinds (fried in lard, not seed oils), hard-boiled eggs, cheese (if you include dairy), canned fish, bone broth, and dried organ meats. Everything must be 100% animal-based with zero plant ingredients.
Is beef jerky carnivore?
Most commercial beef jerky is NOT carnivore due to added sugars, plant seasonings (garlic, onion), and preservatives. True carnivore jerky contains ONLY beef and salt. Brands like Carnivore Snax and Carnivore Crisps meet strict standards. Always read ingredient lists, if you see anything besides meat and salt, it's not strictly carnivore.
Do you need to snack on carnivore diet?
Most carnivore dieters eventually stop snacking because meat and fat are incredibly satiating. A proper carnivore meal provides sustained energy for 4-8 hours. Many long-term carnivores eat just 1-2 meals per day. If you're new and need snacks, that's normal during adaptation. You'll likely find you don't need them over time.
What are the benefits of the carnivore diet?
Benefits I've experienced include: elimination of plant toxins, dramatically reduced inflammation, improved mental clarity, better digestion, stable energy, and weight optimization. Animal foods are the most nutrient-dense and bioavailable on earth. Many people report significant health improvements after eliminating all plant foods.
Explore More Snack Guides
The carnivore diet has transformed my health, and I'm passionate about helping others discover this way of eating. These snacks help during transition or when you need something portable. For more options aligned with ancestral eating, check out our other guides.
Health Optimization Specialist & Founder
Jeff Walker is a health optimization specialist with 23+ years of personal research into nutrition and chronic health management. After overcoming digestive, metabolic, and inflammatory health challenges through dietary changes, he founded Healthy Snack Guides to help others make informed snacking choices backed by real data.