How Many Carbs Can You Have on a Dirty Carnivore Diet?

January 13, 2026 •

4 min read

While a strict carnivore diet aims for zero carbohydrates, a dirty carnivore approach offers a more flexible path, introducing some non-animal foods that contain carbs. This variation has no single carb limit, making it a personalized journey based on individual tolerance and dietary additions.

Quick Summary

The carb count on a dirty carnivore diet varies widely based on which non-animal foods are included, with some staying near keto levels while others add fruits or honey. Finding your limit depends on personal goals, metabolic state, and carb sources. It is not a fixed number but an adaptable approach to a meat-based lifestyle.

Key Points

Flexibility is Key: A dirty carnivore diet does not have a single carb limit, making it more adaptable than a strict zero-carb approach.
Start Strict, Then Add: Begin with a pure carnivore phase before slowly reintroducing carb-containing foods to find your personal tolerance.
Carb Sources Vary: "Dirty" additions can range from trace amounts in seasonings and dairy to more significant carbs from fruits and honey.
Monitor Your Body: Pay close attention to your body's response, looking for signs like digestive issues or changes in energy that signal your carb limit.
Know the Spectrum: Understand that your version of dirty carnivore can fall anywhere between a near-zero carb diet and a higher-carb, animal-based one, similar to keto.
Test and Adjust: Experimentation is necessary to determine what works for you and your specific health goals, with a common range for ketosis being under 50g of net carbs per day.

Understanding the Dirty Carnivore Diet

Unlike the strict carnivore diet, which eliminates all plant-based foods, the "dirty" version is more lenient. It allows for the occasional inclusion of foods not strictly derived from animals. The term "dirty" is not a judgment on food quality but rather a classification of dietary flexibility. This approach acknowledges that a zero-carb, all-animal diet can be extremely restrictive and difficult to maintain long-term for some individuals. As a result, the number of carbohydrates you can have on a dirty carnivore diet is not fixed, but rather a flexible range that varies depending on your specific version of the diet.

The Spectrum of a Dirty Carnivore Diet

The dirty carnivore diet exists on a spectrum, with different people incorporating different types and amounts of non-animal products. This directly influences the total carbohydrate intake. Here are some examples of what this can look like:

Seasonings and Spices: At the most conservative end, some dirty carnivores may simply add seasonings like garlic powder or paprika, which contain minimal carbohydrates, to their meat.
High-Fat Dairy: A common inclusion is high-fat, low-lactose dairy products like heavy cream or certain hard cheeses, which introduce a small amount of carbs.
Select Plant Foods: Others may add small portions of low-carb vegetables, such as asparagus or Brussels sprouts, or fermented foods like sauerkraut.
Fruits and Honey: On the higher end of the spectrum, some adherents, such as podcaster Joe Rogan and Dr. Paul Saladino, have included fruits and honey, significantly increasing their daily carb intake. This pushes the diet closer to a very low-carb, animal-based diet rather than a purely carnivore one.

Setting Your Individual Carb Tolerance

Given the wide range of what a dirty carnivore diet can entail, the amount of carbs you can consume is highly personalized. Your ideal limit will depend on your metabolic state, activity level, and specific health goals. For example, someone aiming for deep nutritional ketosis may need to keep carbs much lower than someone focused on general well-being.

A good starting point is to understand the typical carb limits for similar low-carb diets. While a strict carnivore diet targets zero, a standard ketogenic (keto) diet generally aims for under 20-50 grams of net carbs per day. The dirty carnivore diet, by its nature, can fall anywhere within or even slightly outside this range.

How to Experiment to Find Your Limit

Start with the basics: Begin with a strict carnivore diet for 30-90 days to reset your system and gauge how your body feels without carbs.
Add slowly: Reintroduce one "dirty" food at a time in small quantities. For example, add a pinch of spices to your steak or a slice of cheese with an egg.
Monitor your response: Pay attention to any physical changes. Issues like bloating, stomach discomfort, or fluctuations in energy levels can indicate you've hit your carbohydrate tolerance limit. For those tracking ketosis, use testing strips to monitor if certain foods kick you out of the fat-burning state.
Adjust as needed: If a certain food causes issues, remove it. If you tolerate it well, you can experiment with slightly larger amounts or another food.

Dirty Carnivore vs. Strict Carnivore vs. Keto

To better understand where a dirty carnivore fits, here is a comparison with other popular low-carb diets:


Feature	Strict Carnivore	Dirty Carnivore	Keto Diet
Carb Intake	Near zero (trace amounts from meat/eggs)	Flexible, from very low to moderate	Under 50g net carbs/day (typical)
Food Sources	Exclusively animal products (meat, fish, eggs, some dairy)	Animal products plus select non-animal items	Animal products, some fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fats
Flexibility	Extremely rigid	Highly adaptable	Flexible within carb limits
Focus	Ancestral eating, elimination	Practicality, sustainability	Inducing nutritional ketosis
Carb Additions	None intentionally added	Spices, certain dairy, low-carb veg, fruits, honey	Low-carb vegetables, berries, seeds, nuts

Conclusion: The Right Answer for You

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how many carbs you can have on a dirty carnivore diet. The exact number is a personal discovery, not a prescribed rule. The flexibility of this approach is its core appeal, allowing individuals to customize their diet for sustainability and specific health outcomes. By carefully introducing small amounts of carbohydrate-containing foods and listening to your body's signals, you can find the perfect balance that works for your unique lifestyle. While this dietary flexibility can be a major advantage, it is crucial to remain mindful of your choices and how they impact your overall well-being. For those with medical concerns, it is always recommended to speak with a healthcare professional before starting any highly restrictive diet.

Optional Resources

Carnivore Diet: Food List, Benefits, Risks, and More - Healthline

Frequently Asked Questions

A clean or strict carnivore diet consists exclusively of animal products, with a goal of zero carbohydrates. A dirty carnivore diet is more flexible, allowing small, intentional amounts of non-animal products, such as spices, certain dairy, or even some plant foods, which add carbs to the diet.

Yes, many people can remain in ketosis on a dirty carnivore diet. A typical ketogenic diet allows for under 50 grams of net carbs per day. By keeping your carb-containing additions minimal and infrequent, you can often stay in a fat-burning state, though individual tolerance varies.

Common carb sources on a dirty carnivore diet include certain seasonings and spices, hard cheeses and heavy cream, small portions of low-carb vegetables like asparagus, and some might even add fruits or honey in limited amounts.

The best way to determine your personal carb limit is through careful experimentation. Start with a strict carnivore base, then slowly add in small amounts of a specific non-animal food while monitoring your physical and metabolic response. Observing how you feel is key to finding your tolerance.

The 'better' limit depends on your individual goals. A lower carb limit is ideal if your focus is strict ketosis or eliminating potential plant toxins. A higher carb limit might be more sustainable and provide more variety, but it can make it harder to remain in a deep state of ketosis.

Yes, processed meats like bacon or deli meats can contribute to carbohydrates on a dirty carnivore diet, especially if they contain additives, preservatives, or binding agents that are not animal-based. Always check the ingredients to ensure purity if this is a concern.

Eating carbs on a dirty carnivore diet doesn't necessarily negate all the benefits, but it changes the diet's focus. The primary benefit of the standard carnivore diet is the elimination of all carbs and potential plant compounds, so adding them back in reintroduces those variables. However, a more flexible, sustainable approach may be more beneficial for some in the long run.