Top 10 Best Snacks for the Carnivore Diet

High Protein, Animal-Based Foods and Meaty Snacks for Carnivores

New to the carnivore diet? Been at it for awhile but could use some fresh thinking?

Either way, you’re probably wondering,  "What can I snack on besides cooked meat?"

It's a great question, especially when you're:

• On the road or traveling by air and can't cook

• Need a quick post-workout refuel

• Don't have time to cook a full meal

• Want something shelf-stable that you can take on-the-go

Let's break down the best carnivore-friendly snacks that'll keep you satisfied and on track with your carnivore diet. But before we dive into the list, what makes a good carnivore snack?

What Makes a Good Carnivore Diet Snack?

Here’s our criteria for snacks to qualify for the Top 10 Best Carnivore Diet Snacks:

1. Pure animal-based ingredients (no seed oils, plant-derived proteins or additives)
2. Comes from sources that are known for quality animal meat, whenever possible including regenerative ranches, pasture-raised farms or wild game
3. Portable and shelf-stable, when possible
4. ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD!

Top 10 Carnivore Diet Snacks:

1. Wild Horizon, 100% Grass-Fed Beef Protein Bars

This is our blog, of course we’re going to put our bars at the number one slot! 

Why they're great: Think of these as the modern version of pemmican. Wild Horizon bars are made with 100% grass-fed beef, grass-fed beef tallow, honey, egg powder, salt and spices (see our flavors here for variations). This is an ideal mix of protein, and fat, which not only makes the protein more bioavailable, but the fat in the grass-fed beef tallow also acts as a natural preservative, making them shelf-stable for years.

Note, if you are on a keto diet, our bars might not be the best for you, and that’s ok! The local Texas honey we use in our bars may provide more glucose than you are trying to intake in order to create ketones.

2. Quality Beef Jerky

Here's the thing about beef jerky – most brands at the grocery store aren't actually carnivore-friendly. Why? They're usually packed with soy sauce, sugar, and other plant-based ingredients.

What to look for in quality beef jerky:

• Ingredients should be just beef, salt and spices

• No sugar or soy sauce

• Preferably 100% grass-fed beef

• Watch out for the common 3 “N” additives in beef jerky: nitrates, nitrites and “natural flavors.” (We’ll get into the wild rabbit hole that is natural flavors in a future blog post)

Good beef jerky brands to try:

• Thanks Danks

• Chomps

• The New Primal (zero sugar options)

Jerky brands to avoid:

• Slim Jim

• Jack Link’s

• Matador

• Oberto

3. Leftover Steak, Venison or Elk

Buy the 1.5lb ribeye instead of the 1lb and save some thin slices for your next trip (or trek). Seriously, I’ve done it before, plenty of times. Some room temp steak in a plastic bag at the top of a hike is pretty dang nice.

Thin sliced venison or elk backstraps also serve the same purpose with the added benefit of sourcing animals from their natural habitat. We’re a big fan of wild game meat at Wild Horizon, and plan to incorporate Elk or Venison into our products in the future.

Whatever your steak of choice, think ahead with your meals and SSFS (save some for snacking).

4. Canned Sardines

Don't knock them till you've tried them. Sardines are basically nature's multivitamin in a convenient can–packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals including omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, vitamin D, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

There’s no refrigeration needed with sardines and the small tin cans they come in makes them highly portable. Make sure you look for brands that use olive oil or water to pack them, and avoid the seed oils at all costs.

Bonus: omega-3s in sardines may help relieve dry eye symptoms, such as dryness, blurry vision, and sensitivity to light. So if you’re on the trail and your eyes get dry or blurry, eat some sardines if you got em.

5. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a complete protein source, rich in nutrients like choline, vitamin B12, vitamin E, iron and biotin. They are also fairly easy to prep in advance (even though peeling can be a pain sometimes) and budget-friendly Now, they do need refrigeration, so they're better for short-term storage and obviously they can’t be in the heat for long periods of time.

6. Wild Caught Canned Tuna

Tuna is another fantastic carnivore snack because it is loaded with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12. In addition to the high protein energy, the omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, selenium, and vitamin D in tuna can contribute to heart health, and boost your brain function, immune system support, and potentially reduce inflammation.

We like our wild caught canned tuna straight from the can with just a pinch of salt and pepper on top. You could also add a bit of whole grain mustard for an extra burst of flavor to help balance the fishy taste.

Whenever possible, look for wild-caught, dolphin-safe canned tuna that is packed in olive oil or water. We like Wild Planet or Natural Catch brands for your wild caught tuna as a carnivore friendly snack.

7. Bacon Chips

Yes, you read that right. Crispy bacon pieces make an amazing crunchy snack.

How to make them:

• Cook bacon until extra crispy

• Let cool completely

• Break into pieces

• Store in an airtight container or glass mason jar

While pork is not the healthiest animal protein (pigs have no sweat glands which can contribute to more toxins building up in their fat), it is packed with B vitamins great for brain function. Thaimine, niacin riboflavin, B6, B12 and pantothenic acid all help aid cognitive function.

Just make sure you look for bacon with no sugar added and no nitrates.

8. Beef, Bison or Elk Liver Crisps

Dehydrated beef liver slices pack a serious nutritional punch and have been gaining popularity lately thanks to brands like Grazly which sells bison and elk liver crisps. Beef liver (and most animal livers) is a tremendous source of bioavailable vitamins & minerals including folate, potassium, heme iron and zinc.

Any beef, bison or elk liver crips you purchase should be straightforward in its ingredients; simply the beef, bison or elk liver, and salt. Nothing else.

Fair warning: They're definitely an acquired taste, but many carnivore dieters swear by them.

9. Homemade Beef or Bison Pemmican

If you’re up for it, why not make your own beef or bison pemmican? Pemmican is an ancient superfood originating from Native American tribes including the Métis and Sioux of the upper midwest and lower Canada, and is what our Wild Horizon grass-fed beef protein bars are inspired by. Pemmican is simply dried lean meat (the Natives used bison), mixed with tallow or rendered suet for the fat (the Natives used bear grease), dried berries (the Natives used chokeberries, currants or blueberries) and sometimes, nuts as well.

Pemmican was such an incredible carnivore friendly snack because it was great for traveling long distances. The rendered fat acted as a natural preservative that kept it edible for years, and could be molded into any shape for easy packing. Pemmican was so vital to early settler and explorer life that there was even a Pemmican War, fought between the Hudson's Bay Company  and the North West Company (both British trading companies) in the Canadian Territories from 1812 to 1821. Pemmican was vital to life, especially during the cold winter months, to not only keep soldiers and trappers alive, but because it was sometimes used as a currency. More on the Pemmican War and the History of Pemmican (totally fascinating to us) in a future blog post.

Here’s an easy pemmican recipe you can try at home:

• Use lean meat like a beef round roast, eye of round or top sirloin (can also use bison or elk meat, which has some great lean cuts).

• Chill the meat in the freezer for at least 1 hour, for easier slicing. 

• Thinly slice the meat, against the grain (so the sinews don’t get too long).

• Place your sliced strips on a metal rack or in a dehydrator for faster drying. You can also use an oven set to about 180 degrees and cook for 6-10 hours, until the meat is brittle.

• Add your dried, brittle meat strips to a blender or coffee grinder, blending until the meat becomes almost like a powdered sawdust.

• We like to mix a 2:1 ratio of dried and powdered meat to fat (two parts meat, one part fat).

• Melt some grass-fed beef tallow (or bear grease if you got it!) in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

• Mix the meat and beef tallow together in a large bowl. You can add dried berries or ground nuts (walnuts or almonds are nice) at this point if you like.

• Scoop your mixture into muffin tin racks or silicone trays and let cool for about 2 to 3 hours.

• Vacuum seal or place in sealable mason jars and canned tins, and store in a cool, dry place.

Congratulations, you made your own pemmican. No better way to feel like a real explorer. Experiment with different added ingredients like berries, honey and spices, or if you don’t want to go through all that work, just buy some Wild Horizon 100% grass-fed beef protein bars ;)

10. Turkey Bacon Crisps

Similar to bacon crisps (although not quite as tasty, hence it’s lower ranking), you can make these at home by cooking the bacon (don’t overcook these like regular bacon), letting them cool completely, breaking into pieces and storing in an airtight container or glass mason jar.

Turkey bacon has less fat and fewer calories than pork bacon, generally has fewer preservatives and is a good source of B vitamins, niacin, selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Turkey also has a lower carbon footprint than pork, lamb, or beef, when they are pasture-raised.

Look for turkey bacon options with minimal added ingredients, made from whole cuts of turkey meat (like thigh or drum), lower sodium, nitrate-free and brands that use natural wood smoke flavoring for a better taste without chemicals.

Making It Work in Real Life

Let's be real – the biggest challenge of the carnivore diet is convenience. It’s not easy to carry raw meat and a skillet around in your pocket! That's why having a mix of go-to options ready is crucial.

For home:

• Keep hard-boiled eggs ready

• Prep bacon chips in advance

• Always cook extra meat, thinly slice and refrigerate

• Stock the pantry with Wild Horizon bars

For travel:

• Pack enough Wild Horizon bars

• Bring quality jerky

• Have canned sardines or wild caught canned tuna as backup

And remember, buy 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised beef whenever possible. Not only is it more nutritious and healthy for you, but it’s much, much better for the environment than grain-fed, feed-lot raised beef.