What Seasonings Can You Have on Animal-based?

November 25, 2025 •

3 min read

A major challenge for those starting a new diet is the lack of meal variety. Adding flavorful seasonings can be a flexible way to add flavor while adhering to dietary principles. The key question is: what seasonings can you have on Animal-based to balance taste with nutritional needs?

Quick Summary

This guide differentiates between strict carnivore and flexible animal-based diet seasoning guidelines. It explores suitable spices, herbs, cooking fats, and flavor options for meat, fish, and eggs while avoiding sugars and preservatives.

Key Points

Flexibility: The animal-based diet allows for more seasoning options than the carnivore diet.
Read Labels: Choose pure spices and herbs without additives or fillers.
Use Animal Fats: Cook with tallow, lard, butter, or ghee.
Essential Flavors: Salt and black pepper are often used.
Embrace Herbs: Herbs can add depth to dishes.
Consider Organ Meats: Including organ meats can add different flavors.

The animal-based diet emphasizes animal products while including certain plant foods like fruits, honey, and some vegetables. This is different from the carnivore diet, which excludes all plant matter, including spices and herbs. Salt is the only seasoning accepted by strict carnivore dieters. However, the animal-based diet offers more choices for tasty meals. The focus is on pure seasonings and avoiding those with additives, sugar, or industrial seed oils.

The Philosophy Behind Seasoning on an Animal-Based Diet

The central idea of the animal-based diet is to reduce inflammatory plant compounds often found in vegetables, grains, and legumes. For seasonings, this means avoiding spice blends and condiments that contain fillers, sugar, or vegetable oils. Small amounts of pure herbs and spices are generally acceptable if they do not cause negative reactions. Personal experimentation helps determine which plant-based seasonings work. This helps with long-term adherence and prevents palate fatigue.

Tolerated Spices and Herbs

Several pure spices and herbs are used to add complexity to meals. Individual tolerance is important.

Salt: An essential mineral for maintaining electrolyte balance, salt is a key seasoning. High-quality salts like Redmond Real Salt or pink Himalayan salt are popular.
Black Pepper: Many find black pepper tolerable in small amounts. Strict adherents avoid it.
Garlic Powder & Onion Powder: These dehydrated powders offer concentrated flavor. Buy pure versions without additives.
Herbs: Fresh or dried herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, dill, and oregano are great for adding flavor to meats and eggs.
Other Spices: Spices such as paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper are often used. Choose pure, high-quality spices to minimize contaminants or additives.

Animal-Based Fats and Cooking Agents

Using the right cooking medium can add flavor. These animal-derived fats are fully compliant.

Tallow & Lard: These provide a rich flavor for cooking steak, patties, and other meats.
Butter & Ghee: These add a creamy flavor and are great for cooking and finishing dishes.
Duck Fat: Duck fat offers a unique flavor for poultry dishes.

How to Create Flavorful Meals

Keep it Simple: A high-quality cut of meat, cooked in tallow or butter with salt, is a perfect meal on its own. The fat and salt bring out the natural flavors.
Make Your Own Blends: To avoid store-bought versions with fillers, create your own seasoning blends. Combine garlic and onion powder with your favorite pure herbs.
Focus on Organ Meats: Organ meats like liver and heart are nutrient-dense and offer distinct flavors. Incorporating them can vary the taste of your meals.
Bone Broth: Cooking with bone broth adds minerals and umami flavor, particularly to stews.

Comparison of Seasoning Approaches


Feature	Strict Carnivore Diet	Flexible Animal-Based Diet
Philosophy	Eliminate all plant matter, including spices, to avoid anti-nutrients.	Prioritize animal products while strategically incorporating low-toxicity plant foods.
Seasonings	Salt only is the standard. Focus on high-quality salt and the inherent flavor of animal fat.	Salt is essential, plus small amounts of pure spices and herbs like black pepper, garlic powder, and basil.
Cooking Fats	Only animal fats like tallow, lard, and butter are permitted.	Animal fats are primary, but some also use avocado oil or high-fat fruits like olives.
Goal	Eliminate all potential plant-based irritants, especially for those with severe autoimmune issues.	Enjoy a wider variety of foods while still reaping the benefits of a low-plant toxin diet.
Condiments	Excludes all condiments due to plant ingredients and seed oils.	Homemade condiments (mustard, mayo) using compliant ingredients are sometimes included.

Conclusion

Understanding what seasonings can you have on Animal-based means understanding the diet's principles and your personal tolerance. A flexible diet allows a wider range of herbs and spices for varied meals. By focusing on quality animal fats, pure salt, and well-tolerated herbs, your food remains exciting without compromising goals. Finding what works for you is key. For more information, Dr. Paul Saladino's Heart & Soil blog provides perspectives on the carnivore versus animal-based approach.

https://heartandsoil.co/blog/issue-146-carnivore-vs-animal-based-whats-the-difference/

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, black pepper is generally allowed in moderation on an animal-based diet. It is typically well-tolerated.

It is best to avoid most store-bought spice blends, as they often contain additives like sugar, vegetable oils, and anti-caking agents that are not compliant with the diet. Opt for pure, single-ingredient spices and make your own blends at home.

Yes, pure garlic and onion powders are often used in the animal-based diet to add flavor. Just ensure the product is 100% pure and does not contain any added sugars or fillers.

Fresh garlic and onions are considered more restrictive due to their higher anti-nutrient content compared to their powdered counterparts. Most practitioners of a flexible animal-based diet prefer the powdered versions in small amounts.

High-quality, mineral-rich salts like pink Himalayan salt, Redmond Real Salt, or unrefined sea salt are preferred. These options provide essential minerals and are free from additives found in standard table salt.

Stick to animal fats such as beef tallow, lard, duck fat, butter, and ghee. These are excellent for cooking and adding rich flavor to your meals while being fully compliant.

Some individuals on a flexible animal-based diet tolerate specific hot sauces, but you must check the ingredient list carefully. Look for brands without added sugar or vegetable seed oils. Homemade hot sauces from compliant ingredients are the safest option.