This post may contain affiliate links. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Details
The Seasoning Question Nobody Agrees On
You're six weeks into carnivore. Steaks are great. Ground beef is reliable. But everything tastes the same. You reach for the garlic powder and suddenly wonder if you just "broke" your diet.
Stop overthinking it.
Seasonings and condiments on carnivore aren't a binary pass/fail. They exist on a spectrum. And where you land on that spectrum depends on your goals, your body, and how honest you're willing to be about what's helping versus what's sneaking plant toxins back onto your plate.
Here's the protocol. Three tiers, clear rules, no guessing.
Tier 1: Strict Carnivore (Salt, Fat, Done)
If you're doing a 30 or 90 day elimination protocol, this is your lane. Salt and animal fat. That's the list.
- Salt: Redmond Real Salt or any unrefined mineral salt. Use it generously. Most people under-salt their food and then blame the diet for headaches and fatigue.
- Animal fats: Tallow, lard, butter, ghee. These are your flavor tools. A ribeye cooked in beef tallow doesn't need garlic powder. If you're choosing between rendered fat and butter, both work here.
- Black pepper: Some strict folks include it, others don't. It contains piperine, which increases gut permeability slightly. If you're doing elimination for gut issues, skip it. If your gut is fine, a few cracks won't derail you.
The math on sodium matters more than people think. Most carnivore eaters need 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium daily. That's roughly 2 to 3 teaspoons of salt. If you're active or training hard, you might need more. If you want the full breakdown on electrolyte strategies and sodium targets, that's worth reading.
Who should stay in Tier 1: People doing elimination protocols. People with autoimmune issues trying to identify triggers. Anyone in their first 30 days who wants clean baseline data.
Tier 2: Moderate (Herbs, Spices, Simple Condiments)
This is where most long-term carnivore eaters land. You've done your elimination. You know your triggers. Now you're adding back minimal plant-based seasonings that don't contain sugar, seed oils, or fillers.
- Dried herbs: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley. These are low-toxin plants with negligible carbs. A teaspoon of rosemary on a lamb chop isn't going to spike your insulin.
- Single-ingredient spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne. Read the label. If it says "garlic powder" and nothing else, you're fine. If it lists maltodextrin, silicon dioxide, or "natural flavors," put it back.
- Mustard: Plain yellow or Dijon. Most mustards are just mustard seed, vinegar, salt, and turmeric. Check for added sugar. French's yellow mustard has zero sugar. Many Dijon brands sneak it in.
- Apple cider vinegar: Useful for digestion. Negligible carbs. Some people use it as a marinade base.
The key rule for Tier 2 is simple. Read every label, every time. Spice blends are where people get burned. That "steak seasoning" from the grocery store probably contains sugar, soybean oil, and cornstarch. Buy single-ingredient spices and mix your own.
Here's a dead simple carnivore rub that covers 90% of your cooking:
- 2 parts salt
- 1 part garlic powder
- 1 part onion powder
- Half part black pepper
- Quarter part cayenne (optional)
Mix it. Store it. Use it on everything. Takes 30 seconds.
Who should stay in Tier 2: People past their initial elimination who tolerate herbs and spices without symptoms. Long-term carnivore eaters who want variety without compromise.
Tier 3: Liberal (Sauces, Fermented, Condiments)
This tier is where the purist versus pragmatist debate gets loud. Some carnivore folks will tell you hot sauce is a gateway drug back to the Standard American Diet. Others have been using it for years with zero issues.
The protocol here is about honest self-assessment.
- Hot sauce: Frank's, Tabasco, Cholula. Most are just peppers, vinegar, and salt. Zero or near-zero calories. The concern isn't metabolic. It's behavioral. If hot sauce makes you want wings and beer, that's your answer.
- Mayo: Only if it's made with avocado oil or olive oil. Primal Kitchen is the most common recommendation. Standard mayo is soybean oil with a label. That's a hard no.
- Fermented condiments: Sauerkraut juice, kimchi juice (not the vegetables), fish sauce. These can support gut health. Fish sauce is basically liquid umami with zero carbs. Red Boat brand is clean.
- Cheese: Technically an animal product, but it's a common stall culprit. Hard aged cheeses like parmesan have less lactose. Soft cheeses can cause inflammation in sensitive people. If fat loss is your goal, track your response carefully.
- Heavy cream: Same story as cheese. Some people do great. Others stall immediately. Test it for two weeks and measure.
Who should stay in Tier 3: People at maintenance weight who tolerate dairy. Long-term carnivore eaters who've proven these additions don't trigger cravings or symptoms.
What Actually Stalls Progress
Let's be specific about what to avoid regardless of your tier.
- Ketchup: It's tomato-flavored sugar. Even "no sugar added" versions use sweeteners that spike insulin in some people. Skip it.
- BBQ sauce: Same problem, worse. Most BBQ sauces have 8 to 12 grams of sugar per tablespoon. That's candy.
- Soy sauce: Contains wheat. If you want that umami flavor, use coconut aminos or fish sauce instead.
- Seed oil-based dressings: Ranch, Caesar, Italian. Nearly all commercial dressings are built on soybean or canola oil. Making your own with olive oil takes five minutes.
- Anything with "natural flavors": This is the food industry's catch-all term for "we're not telling you what's in here." If a label says natural flavors, assume the worst.
The Sodium and Potassium Protocol
Here's where performance matters. Your body needs electrolytes whether you season your food or not. But how you season affects how much you're getting.
Sodium targets: 4,000 to 6,000 mg daily. More if you train, sweat, or drink coffee. Salt your food during cooking and again at the table. If you're cramping or getting headaches, you're probably low.
Potassium targets: 3,500 to 4,700 mg daily. Beef and pork are solid sources. A pound of ground beef gives you roughly 1,200 mg of potassium. If you're eating 2 pounds of meat daily, you're covering a good chunk without supplements.
Magnesium: 400 to 600 mg daily. Harder to get from meat alone. Magnesium glycinate before bed is the simplest fix. It won't affect your carnivore protocol and it improves sleep quality.
The protocol is straightforward. Salt generously. Eat enough meat to cover potassium. Supplement magnesium if needed. Don't make it more complicated than that.
Pick Your Tier and Own It
The seasonings debate will never end because there's no single right answer. A person healing from Crohn's disease needs Tier 1 discipline. A person who's been carnivore for three years and feels great with hot sauce on their eggs doesn't need to feel guilty about it.
Here's what matters. Be honest about your goals. Read every label. Track your response to anything new. If something stalls your progress or brings back cravings, drop it. If it makes your food better and changes nothing about how you feel, keep it.
Protocol beats perfection. Consistency beats purity. Find your tier, commit to it for 30 days, and let the data tell you what works.
I'm not a doctor. I've coached people and competed myself, so I know what works. But I'm not your doctor. If you have health issues or take meds, check with someone qualified. Everything here is based on what works in practice and what research supports. Your mileage may vary.