Satisfying Snack Solutions to Sustain Your Carnivore Diet
The rising popularity of the absolute carnivore diet means more people are fueling up on nothing except meat. But even devoted protein lovers may crave a little variety to their ribeye steak and bacon routine. The good news? Plenty of tasty carnivore-approved snacks offer a satisfying bridge between your no-carb, all animal food feasts.
An Overview of Permissible Carnivore Diet Snacks
When eliminating all sweets, grains, fruits, starchy veggies, nuts and seeds from your food plan, snacking options become extremely limited. Essentially, carnivore rule breakers fall into just a few categories like:
- Processed meats - Salami, pepperoni, jerky, sausage
- Dairy - Cheese, plain Greek yogurt
- Eggs - Hard boiled, deviled eggs
- Bone broth - Beef, chicken, lamb broths
So while the carnivore snacks roster seems short, concentrating food choices around delicious whole animal foods posed no hardship for early hunter-gatherers. And it satisfies nutrient needs minus inflammatory compounds for devoted modern carnivores too.
Why Snacks Matter on a Carnivore Diet
Between the high protein and fat content of carnivore diets, feelings of satiety and stable energy typically come easy without many snacks. However, mini-meals offer both practical and health benefits including:
- Curb mid-morning or afternoon hunger pangs before main meals
- Steady nutrient delivery prevents energy crash or burnout before workouts
- Portable on-the-go options for busy schedules and travel
- Prevent overindulging at meals from excessive hunger going in
Just take care to avoid snacking habits sabotaging your results by pushing overall calorie excess and weight gain over time. Moderation still matters.
Tasty Carnivore-Approved Snack Recipes
Looking for clever and creative carnivore snack inspiration beyond another plain slice of deli meat? Consider these possibilities!
Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs already qualify as a grab and go snack. But mixing the egg yolk filling with diced dill pickles adds delicious flavor contrast you probably havent tried before. The briny vinegar tang pairs perfectly with creamy rich egg yolks.
Smokey Bone Broth Chips
For a crispy counterpoint to all those soft meat snacks, try dehydrating strips of organic collagen-rich bone broth. Simply pour broth onto silicone trays, lightly salt, and dehydrate at a low temp until hardened. Then flip over trays to release chips with a satisfying crunch!
Salt and Vinegar Pork Crackling
Crunchy deep fried pork rinds satisfy snack cravings carnivore-style but pure salt and vinegar seasoning kicks these up a notch. After frying thin pork belly or skin pieces, toss hot crackling pieces immediately into vinegar mixed with coarse sea salt before cooling and draining.
Ginger Zingers Beef Jerky
Looking for an energizing snack to power you through daily exercise? Make your own ginger-spiced jerky at home. Just mix freshly grated ginger into ground beef along with salt and pepper before dehydrating thin strips. The spicy ginger flavor keeps tastebuds intrigued.
Essential Equipment for Carnivore Diet Snack Prep
Assemble the right kitchen gear so you can easily make tasty carnivore snacks at home. Heres what to have on hand:
A Quality Meat Grinder
From making your own burger patties or sausages to stuffing sausage casings for mini snack sticks, nothing beats freshly ground meat. Step up snack game with textures you control via grinding attachments that work with stand mixers or food processors too.
Dehydrator Appliance
Harnessing gentle heat and continuous airflow, electric dehydrators offer the easiest route to homemade beef or turkey jerky. Look for models with multiple trays and precise temperature adjustments around 105 - 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Better flavor and food safety results.
Silicone Baking Mats
Flexible nonstick silicone mats act as reusable pseudo-dehydrator sheets for making carnivore crackers or chips from broth, collagen, or fat trimmings. Bonus: they roll or fold up neatly for storage unlike rigid trays.
Vacuum Sealer
After going to the effort of preparing stacks of jerky, sausage, or bacon, extend snack shelf life using a vacuum sealing appliance. Removing oxygen prevents early spoilage so you enjoy pristine leftovers too.
On-the-Go Carnivore Diet Snack Ideas
Part of easing into committed carnivore eating means adapting go-to snacks you never considered before. When hunger strikes away from your kitchen, try these portable options:
Pemmican Meat Bars
This traditional Native American ultra-portable food comprises dried meat mixed with rendered fat. binder Modern versions use beef and bacon drippings along with spices. Just form into bars or small balls to provide dense pocket-sized protein power.
Canned Fish Packets
Skip the office vending machine nosh for a convenient hit of omega fats and vitamin D courtesy of portable canned fish like sardines, kippers or salmon. Even better? The instant protein requires zero refrigeration until after opening.
DIY Beef Soup Kits
Warm bone broth offers not just hydration but also minerals to supplement electrolyte balance on physically demanding days. Assemble portable soup sachets using portion sized baggies filled with dehydrated beef chunks, sea salt, herbs etc. Just add hot water!
Moon Cheese
Sometimes only rich and decadent cheese satisfies snack attacks. This high protein baked cheese delivers signature savory flavor in neat bite-sized pieces with the crunch of an actual cheese puff - minus inflammatory ingredients.
Tips for Success with Carnivore Diet Snacking
Snacking missteps could sabotage your carnivore efforts just as easily overindulging on meat-based mini-meals. Employ these strategies for smart supplemental snacking:
- Limit overall snack calories to 10-15% daily totals
- Track macros to ensure sufficient protein/fat at snacks
- Time snacks 2-3 hours pre-meal to better control hunger
- Hydrate with bone broth instead of snacking when bored
- Freeze surplus homemade snacks immediately in portion packs
The carnivore diet undoubtedly restricts food variety. But as devoted protein lovers will discover, the rich range of meat, eggs and dairy still allow endlessly craveable snacking options for between meal satisfaction!
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
Add Comment