Are you allowed to have carbohydrates on the carnivore diet? And if so, how many carbs can you have on carnivore diet? We’ve got the answers to your questions here in this detailed article.
The carnivore diet and carbohydrates go together like oil and vinegar - meaning you should prepare to be carb-free while on this diet.
Now, carbohydrates aren’t specifically restricted while eating on the carnivore diet. Instead, the foods allowed on the carnivore diet - such as meat and other animal products - have little to no carbohydrates from the get-go, resulting in a low to zero carb intake. But what is acceptable regarding the number of carbs allowed to be consumed?
Throughout this article, we’ll discuss how many carbs are acceptable and provide helpful tips for staying on track with the carnivore diet. Let’s start with a brief introduction to this diet in the first place.
A Brief Introduction to Carnivore
Before we dive into how many carbs on carnivore diet are acceptable, let’s first discuss what is allowed on the carnivore diet as a whole.
The carnivore diet allows the consumption of animal and meat products while avoiding grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Alcohol, juices, energy drinks, and soda are also not included in the carnivore diet, as the goal is to adhere to what was eaten in the primal era.
The benefits of carnivore diet are outstanding. Consuming a carnivore diet helps to clear the mind, improve focus, decrease inflammation, and lower blood sugar. These are only a few of the desirable benefits that arise.
There are carnivore diet pros and cons to be aware of. One common con is that quality meat selections can be expensive. Another con is finding options when eating out in social environments that coincide with the carnivore diet. There are methods to overcome these cons, as, in the long run, the carnivore diet is incredibly beneficial for improving overall health.
Our blog provides helpful tips and guides on how to start the carnivore diet and how much to eat on the carnivore diet to get started. But now, let’s talk about the role of carbs in your diet.
The Role of Carbohydrates in Your Diet
Carbohydrates are responsible for many essential bodily roles. In the body, carbohydrates convert glucose into energy, which is necessary to support bodily functions such as walking or exercising.
Carbohydrates provide energy, but they also help store energy for later use, spare the use of proteins for energy, prevent ketosis, break down fatty acids, and perform other critical bodily functions. Sounds pretty important…which begs the question, how many carbs on carnivore diet are allowed?
So, How Many Carbs on Carnivore Diet Can You Have?
How many carbs can you have on carnivore diet, then? Technically, carbs are not allowed on a carnivore diet. But as mentioned earlier, this is not because they are limited but because the foods they are found in are exempt from the diet. This is mainly because the foods eaten on a carnivore diet are naturally low in carbohydrates.
Carnivore diet carbs are almost nonexistent as grains, like rice and pasta, are prohibited on this diet. Meat and animal products are nearly zero carbs from the get-go, meaning that while eating on the carnivore diet, you will naturally consume next to no carbs.
What Happens if You Eat Carbs on the Carnivore Diet?
Do the carnivore diet and carbohydrates mix well? Digestion problems can arise if you eat carbohydrates on the carnivore diet. This can result from a spike in blood sugar, which can cause heartburn, bloating, or nausea, affecting how food is digested.
Eating carbs while on the carnivore diet will also take you out of ketosis, which can be unfavorable if you’re trying to receive the benefits of the carnivore diet, such as lowering blood sugar or achieving weight loss.
Benefits of Eating a Low or Zero-Carb Diet (Like Carnivore)
Eating a low or zero-carb diet can be beneficial for losing weight compared to other low-fat diets. This study proved that low-carb diets established more significant results for weight loss than a conventional diet. It can also be beneficial for supporting the heart by lowering blood pressure and decreasing blood triglyceride levels, which raises the risk of heart disease when elevated.
Preparing the best low carb snacks with quality protein can support one’s weight loss or maintenance journey for fitness or health on a low-carb diet like the carnivore diet.
What Should Your Other Macros Be? Figuring Out Protein & Fat Goals Along With Overall Calorie Intake
Regarding the carnivore diet carbs, proteins, fats, and caloric intake, what should be a desirable goal for this diet? For carbohydrates, the aim of a carnivore diet is as little as one can do, none if possible.
About 15-30 percent of calories should be sourced from protein, and about 70-80 percent should come from fat. The fat is going to replace carbs as your primary energy source - and protein will help as well.
If your goal is weight loss, calories still need to be tracked on the carnivore diet. Eating anything in excess that creates a caloric surplus will result in weight gain. Determining your caloric intake will depend on your goals, so if you want to lose fat, you’ll be in a caloric deficit. If you want to maintain it, you’ll be eating maintenance calories.
And if you want to gain weight and muscles, you’ll be in a caloric surplus. These caloric ranges depend on age, gender, height, weight, and activity level, which can differ depending on each individual.
Tips for Staying on Track With Carnivore Without Going Crazy
Want some helpful tips for staying on track on a carnivore diet? From planning your meals ahead to keeping the right snacks on hand, check out our recommended tips below!
Plan Your Meals Ahead
Eating on a carnivore diet can be expensive. That’s why on our blog, we detail how to manage the carnivore diet on a budget and provide a super helpful carnivore diet snack list. Planning your meals ahead of time can be a money saver when trying to budget. It can also be great for avoiding getting off track on the carnivore diet by having meals prepped and ready to go to eat when you’re busy or too tired to cook.
Buying the best meat snacks to take with you when you’re out of town, on the go, or hitting the gym can also be a great way to meal prep and plan your meals ahead of time so you can stay full and satisfy cravings throughout the day.
Keep the Right Snacks on Hand
Along with helping prevent derailing the carnivore diet, keeping the right snacks on hand can boost protein and energy to fuel the body and demote cravings. Suffering from cravings can be challenging, tempting you to stray from your health and fitness goals. That’s why at Carnivore Snax, we’ve created Carnivore Crisps - a delicious snack that aligns with your goals.
Our Carnivore Crisps, like our steak chips, chicken chips, and ribeye chips, come in a delicious variety of meat selections made with 100% grass-fed sources. Each bag has a pound of meat that’s been dried to salt-flavored, buttery, and rich-tasting perfection that melts into your mouth.
You can pick from other delicious varieties as well, like our lamb chips, beef chips, brisket chips, and pork chips, all sourced and made in the USA with only two ingredients - meat and salt!
Stay Hydrated
Keeping hydrated is vital regardless of what specific diet you’re following. This is because water plays a crucial role in bodily functions, supporting life, and the operation of the organs in the body. But on carnivore, it’s particularly important.
Consuming anywhere from 9-13 cups of the average man and woman is recommended. This changes depending on any existing health conditions and how active an individual is, as the more active a person is, the more water the body will need.
Get Support From Others in the Same Boat as You
Receiving guidance from individuals in the same boat as you can be just what you need to get you through any roadblocks.
These people will have experience eating on the carnivore diet and can use what they’ve learned to help guide you, whether it be new recipes to try to keep things interesting or tips on how to eat out on a carnivore diet to prevent affecting social life.
Monitor Sleep Habits
To stick to the carnivore diet, monitoring your sleeping habits is essential. What most people don’t know is that sleep coincides with hunger-regulating hormones. Therefore, a lack of sleep can result in increased hunger and cravings. When you’re tired, you are more likely to lean towards more convenient foods or caffeine to help increase energy levels and motivation.
A whole night’s rest can help improve decision-making, promote recovery, and deter a spike in hunger cues. Monitor your sleeping habits to prevent these possible concerns correlated with a poor night's sleep.
Track Your Progress, But Be Patient
The body requires time to adjust when adapting to a new routine. The same goes for a shift in diet. The cravings can be problematic initially but will subside within a few weeks.
From the start, track measurable progress, whether it be photos, using clothes on how they fit (Are they tight? Are they loose?), or writing down measurements taken with measuring tape. Then, every 3-4 weeks, write down progress and compare notes.
Ensure that you are taking down measurements first thing in the morning before you’ve eaten anything and after you’ve used the bathroom, as this can affect results. Also, if you are taking photos, wear the same clothes to make progress more noticeable.
Progress takes time to show. Therefore, promoting sustainability with caloric intake and one’s exercise routine to reach one’s goal is better than too harsh too fast, as this can be detrimental to maintaining the diet or exercise routine put into place.
Wrapping Up Our Guide to How Many Carbs on Carnivore Diet are Allowed
Our guide on how many carbs on carnivore diet are allowed went into detail on why carbs aren’t allowed on the carnivore diet. We also provided helpful tips and steps on how to stick to the carnivore diet by planning meals ahead of time and tracking progress. Another great tip is packing high-protein, low-carb meat chips to stay on track when on the go or to appease cravings.
With Carnivore Snax, you can achieve the best benefits from the carnivore diet without our two-ingredient premium meat snacks. Choose from a tasty variety of meat selections, from brisket to lamb, as a pre-or post-gym snack, or take on the go while traveling. The choice is yours, but don’t miss out on these carnivore diet low-carb meat snacks!
