What Seasonings and Condiments Can You Use on a Carnivore Diet? 

Why do so many people ask about seasonings on carnivore?

So many people starting carnivore ask me, "Can I use this? Can I use that?" There are over a million people on a carnivore diet around the world right now, and there are condiments, sauces, rubs and spices from all over the world that you could potentially use. I'll tell you the condiments I use often, a few I don't use but other people love, and then you can make your own decision as an adult.

How do you decide if a seasoning is okay on carnivore?

There are two primary reasons to try a carnivore diet, and every seasoning should be judged against both of them.

The first is that carnivore is the lowest carbohydrate diet you can possibly eat. If you are overweight or have fatty liver, prediabetes or diabetes, it is the ultimate low carb diet. Carnivore is keto.

The second is that carnivore is the most uninflammatory diet a human being can eat. If you have autoimmune conditions, gut conditions like IBS or Crohn's disease, skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, or chronic joint pain, carnivore is going to calm things down. We are also getting reports from thousands upon thousands of people of greatly improved mental health.

So when you look at a seasoning, ask two questions. Does it add carbs? Does it cause you inflammation? The carb count matters, but inflammation is the key thing.

Is salt allowed on a carnivore diet?

Yes. Salt is the one condiment nobody is going to have a problem with as far as inflammation or carbs. Salt is an essential blend of minerals. Salt is never going to cause inflammation.

Choose a clean, tested salt. I choose SALTR. If you live in Europe or South America, choose a clean, tested local salt instead.

Carnivores in nature get their salt from the blood of their prey. Herbivores find a salty rock or salty mud and lick it. Some carnivores use far less salt than others, but I recommend you at least start carnivore by salting your food to taste.

Can you use black pepper on carnivore?

For most people, yes. Pepper can be inflammatory for a very small percentage of the adult population. If you know pepper inflames you, obviously leave it out. I can eat pepper with no inflammation at all, and it's sugar free and carb free, so 5, 10 or 20 twists don't cause me any problems. If you have an autoimmune condition or an inflammatory disease, think about this and experiment to see whether pepper causes inflammation for you.

Are flavored salts and spice rubs okay on carnivore?

There are hundreds of flavored salts out there. I love SALTR's garlic and onion seasoning, and its ingredients are very clean. I think a flavored salt is fine for the vast majority of people on carnivore.

Kinder's steak blend is delicious on ground beef, steak or pork chops. Their ingredients are not quite as clean as I'd like, so this is one to experiment with and see if it causes inflammation for you.

Any time you use a condiment, sauce, rub or spice, flip it around and read the ingredients. If there's a word you don't know, look it up. Then you can make an informed decision about whether it goes in your diet.

Is mustard allowed on carnivore?

I love mustard. Some people hate it. French's is a very common brand in the US, and it has zero sugar and zero carbs. I'm personally not inflamed at all by mustard, but some people might be, so if you're fighting autoimmunity or inflammation, experiment with it.

As far as carb count, mustard is perfection for carnivore. But it's definitely not carnivore, because it's made from mustard seed. You decide whether to include it. I definitely will.

Can you use organ meat seasoning?

Yes, and it's one of my favorites. SALTR Ancestral Seasoning is an organ blend made from ground up beef organs, including heart and liver. I love their spicy one. Read the ingredient list, though. It's clean right now, but it's a private company and they could change their ingredients at any time.

Can you use mayo or sugar-free sauces on carnivore?

This part will make some of my carnivore purists mad.

Chosen makes a mayo with 100% avocado oil, which for most people on a carnivore diet does not seem to be inflammatory. Read the label on supermarket mayo. A jar might say "made with olive oil" or "made with avocado oil," and then the first ingredient is canola or soybean oil because they only added a drop or two. You can also make your own mayonnaise at home with butter, bacon grease or beef tallow.

G Hughes makes sugar-free sauces, including sweet and spicy and barbecue. I have no affiliation with that brand; it's one Neisha loves on her keto diet. If you're getting benefits from carnivore but you're so bored you need some flavor, this might be something to experiment with. If you need a break, I'd much rather you cheat with something like this than put Heinz ketchup on your meat, which is basically pure sugar.

Who should skip seasonings at first?

Some people with severe inflammation or autoimmune conditions need to do a lion diet. That's a subset of carnivore with only the meat of ruminants like cow, sheep, goat and venison, plus salt and water, for at least the first 90 days. Then they can start experimenting with other spices and other meats as their disease process improves.

What do I put on my own carnivore breakfast?

I start by putting bacon grease in the pan. It's saved from cooking bacon, so it's essentially a free healthy animal fat, full of monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamins and minerals. I cook my ground beef medium to medium rare, and I never drain the grease anymore. Beef tallow is healthy animal fat with vitamins and minerals. Then I crack six eggs right on top of the beef.

When it's done, I add the spicy organ blend, a flavored salt, a few grinds of pepper and a squirt of zero carb, sugar-free mustard, and mix it up. The bacon goes in the air fryer, and I pour the grease through a stainless steel strainer so I can save it and cook with it over and over. If you want to bump up your fat, throw a big hunk of butter on top. I eat what looks like it will fill me up, and I save the rest. Never waste it.