How to Travel on The Carnivore Diet

Keep It Carnivore

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Carnivore Diet Road Sign

For those of us out there that are constantly traveling for work or just straight up take vacations on the regular then this post is for you. This post is also for those of you that have that voice in the back of your head saying, “you are traveling today so you deserve a day off from your strict Carnivore Diet, go ahead and sneak a non-compliant meal.”

It’s time to let that little voice know that it’s not taking away your power of staying disciplined.

Use this post for education, inspiration and to destroy any BS excuses that may be popping up in your head. Below you will find a few suggestions from my travel experiences that you can apply while you’re on the road or flying around the world.

Crnivore Plane at the Airport

Air Travelers

First off, for the air travelers. Yep, airport food pretty much sucks and your choices for carnivore approved meals are limited.

You can find a fine dining style restaurant at any of the major airport hubs and ask for specific steaks, burgers and/or request meat not to be cooked in toxic oils, (like vegetable oils, seed oils, etc.), but chances are you don’t have time and that can add substantially to your expenses…unless the company you work for pays for it or you need write-offs.

Plan B is to buy some fast food but also that may be a problem as most of the meat options are cooked in toxic oils or marinated and seasoned in extra spices, sugars or sauces so that’s a no-no. So now what?

  1. Jerky: This is a great option but not just any jerky will work. If you want to stay “Carnivore Compliant” you will need to source the brands that offer sugar-free options with minimally added extra flavors or seasonings. These are a few of the sugar-free brands on the market. People’s Choice Beef Jerky, Keto Carne Sugar-Free Jerky, Chomp Grass-Fed Beef Sticks.
  2. Biltong: The brother of jerky. Biltong is dried and cured meat that originally came from the Southern countries of Africa and now it is popular among meat eaters around the world. My go-to brand for Biltong is Kalahari as they have a sugar free option.
  3. Smoked Salmon: This option is great as it gives us carnivores the opportunity to add some seafood to our diet. There are a few companies out there that offer the non-refrigerated options like Sea Bear. and Sea Bear Ready to Eat Travel Packs. Just make sure you get the wild-caught salmon and not the farm-raised.
  4. Sardines: While on the topic of seafood you can always bring a few cans of sardines. Sardines are in the underrated category of the carnivore diet as they pack a huge amount of nutrients in their little bodies plus they have less mercury content due to their small bodies and shorter lifespans. Just know that they take a little time to get used to and your breath is gonna smell for a few hours. Oh yeah, don’t be that guy/gal that opens a can and eats it on the plane as you’re gonna piss off your neighbors with the fishy smell! These sardines are the best: Safe Catch Sardines in Water.
  5. Canned Meats: Tuna, oysters, etc. This is definitely an option but perhaps not the healthiest. I’m not an expert in toxicology but the general thought on canned foods over the years is that there can be unwanted chemicals in food preserved through canning. However, this is probably not too bad option as chances are it’s a temporary hack for your flight.
  6. Pork Rinds: Baked pork skin is soooo satiating. There are tons of brands out there but some have added and unnecessary ingredients. I stick the basics and only eat the pork rinds that are made with salt. My go-to brand is Epic Pink Himalayan and Sea Salt Pork Rinds.
  7. Bone Broth Powder: Because you can’t bring liquids through security your bone broth is going to be limited to the powder forms. Powder isn’t nearly as good as the real stuff but it will suffice. I have only personally tried “Vital Proteins” Collagen Bone Broth Powder. The reason I like these guys is because they use grass-fed beef and they don’t add anything to the powder. Even in powder form, it packs a ton of enzymes and nutrients. Get your hot water from a Starbucks as they have strict water purification requirements so you know the H2O is less toxic.
  8. Pepperoni & Salami: People say this is a good option because Pepperoni doesn’t spoil as quickly as cold cuts. So chances are it will last while you travel. The only brand I have eaten while going carnivore is Applegate Naturals. These guys make an uncured beef and pork blend with minimal extra ingredients. Now, this won’t qualify as a perfect carnivore because it has some extra BS and contains less than 2% of the following: Turbinado Sugar, Water, Spices, Cultured Celery Juice Powder, Granulated Garlic, Cherry Powder, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk), Rosemary Extract, Oleoresin Of Paprika, Lime Juice Concentrate. That being said I don’t think it’s a major deal-breaker.
  9. Grass-Fed Butter: Yep people eat this as a snack, just the butter, not kidding. For me, this is where I draw the line as I have tried to eat just butter but it makes me nauseous. If you can do this go ahead and put a few sticks in your bag as it will likely have no problem going through security as it isn’t a liquid. The best grass-fed butter is Kerrygold Irish Butter.
Travel Carnivore Style

Road Trippers

For those quick day-trippers trying to get into the mountains or the cross country travelers, here are a few suggestions to keep your carnivore lifestyle in the right lane.

Obviously all the foods mentioned in the Air Travelers section qualify so use that list as well. A lot of these options are meal prep heavy and that’s why I suggest reading this post where I show how I save money and time with my meal prep techniques. The list below is a little more creative.

  1. Bacon: Booyah, bacon time! Cook a ton of bacon and bag it up. You are going to need to bring a cooler to keep the bacon from spoiling should you be on a long trip. You can definitely pre-cook and meal prep a ton of burgers and steaks or whatever and keep them on ice but I’ve found that they don’t taste as good cold, but that’s just me. The thing that still tastes good cold is bacon so that’s why I almost always include it on road trips. If you are in California try out Belcampo Farms Bacon or try to source from a regenerative farm.
  2. Hard-Boiled Eggs: These are no brainer. Super easy to make and easy to store. Just make sure you keep them on ice for the longer trips. the internet says they start to go bad after 2 hours of not being refrigerated. I’ve done way longer than that without a problem but it’s your call.
  3. AIRBNB: Okay so this is the solution for the overnight trips and quick get-aways. The major pros for using Airbnb as a carnivore life stylist is that they usually have kitchens. This way you can either bring your meat on ice and cook when you get there or just hit up the local butcher and get your meat there.
  4. Hotel and Motel Kitchenettes: This is another no-brainer. Do your research ahead of time and pick out those hotel brands that offer kitchenettes. This way you have no excuse and chances are you will save more money by not eating out. You can do the full spectrum of cooking eggs, burgers, steaks, and everything else.
  5. Hot Plates and Hiking Burners: This is also a great option so that you can cook or reheat your prepped meals. Super simple, super affordable and they don’t take up a lot of space. This one is cheap and affordable.

Last Resort: Fast Food

Okay so whether your are in an airport or hitting up the next town for some meat you still have fast food options.

Now the downfall of fast food is obviously the quality of meat and what they cook the meat in. I still use fast food as more of a last resort but it’s still an okay option. Here is a list of my preferred carnivore approved style fast food joints.

These are my picks for US restaurants but I’m sure there are comparative places in other countries. Just be sure to ask what the meat is cooked in prior to ordering and what they season it with. Then it’s up to you if it passes your requirements.

  1. Wendy’s: This one sounds strange saying it but Wendy’s is a good choice as it’s affordable and the beef is exactly that, 100% beef. Plus they only season the meat with salt so you are good to go. Just ask for the burgers without anything else. For me I order at least 5 and sometimes more.
  2. In and Out: I love In and Out. These guys have some of the best tasting burgers and the quality is up to par. If you can do cheese I highly suggest the “Flying Dutchman”. It’s basically 2 burger patties with two servings of cheese and nothing else. I usually scarf down 3 or 4 depending on appetite.
  3. Five Guys: Five guys is a great burger joint and once again they seem to use high quality meat. You can order just the burger patty here as well. For fast food these guys are little pricier but perhaps it’s the quality you are buying.
VW Van For The Carnivore Diet

Plan B: Fasting

Chances are if you have been on the carnivore diet for some time fasting isn’t going to be a major problem nor challenge.

Those of us on very low-carb lifestyles can fast easier and feel fine as we are not dealing with insulin spokes, carb cravings, and whatnot. That being said if you are a newbie a fast can be a real pain in the ass so maybe the travel snack option is a little bit better of an idea.

When I do intermittent fasting or a prolonged fast I just eat heavily the day before, actually it’s probably just a tad more than usual. My most recent trip was from Colombia back to the US and it was a full day of flying as I went from Medellin to Miami to Chicago to Aspen.

I decided ahead of time to keep things simple I would use this as an opportunity to fast and it worked perfectly. The night before I had 6 hamburgers and the next day fast was a walk in the park.

Alcohol While Traveling

I really suggest you get rid of this nasty habit. It’s detrimental to your health and really doesn’t provide any health benefits. However, if you are the type that just needs a little something in the airport or while you’re out and about I did do some research on how to go about including alcohol in your carnivore diet:

Conclusion and Motivation

Hopefully you see that traveling and keeping the carnivore diet going is possible and you have no excuses to break that promise to yourself of staying carnivore. You have numerous options to stay on course. Trust me you can do it.

If you are looking for motivation I would consider trying out a Carnivore Diet Coach! I happen to be one and work with Dr. Shawn Baker over at MeatRX. You can book me here!

Another great source of inspiration and carnivore diet-related content and informative videos is our YouTube Channel Wild Lumens! Check it out and subscribe.

Did I miss anything or do you have any advice on how you stay carnivore when you travel? Please shoot us an email.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. Consult with and ask your doctor about any diet or medical-related questions. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or condition.

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