THE CARNIVORE DIET BENEFITS
The carnivore diet benefits are undeniable, from the mental clarity it brings to the weight loss it supports. There are so many reasons to consider trying a 30-day carnivore diet meal plan, but let’s face it - the thought of eliminating most of your favorite foods can be a deal breaker.
No more processed food of any kind and no more fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes - just meat, eggs, and maybe some dairy. It sounds like it can get pretty boring pretty quick (spoiler alert - it’s not when you follow our carnivore diet meal plan for beginners).
So, can you have a cheat day on carnivore diet every once in a while to keep things fresh and fun? There’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for staying consistent through the occasional carnivore diet cheat day, right?
Technically, you can do anything you want with this diet. But the harsh reality is that you get out what you put in. The closer you adhere to the carnivore diet rules, the better results you’ll see.
If you’re going to indulge in the occasional cheat day, you need to go about it the right way. That means keeping these splurges rare and understanding what you can and cannot enjoy as carnivore treats. We’ll cover all this and more below.
Carnivore Diet Overview
The carnivore diet is as simple as it gets - eliminate any and all plant-based sources of nutrition. Say goodbye to fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, legumes, and anything else that grows on a plant or tree.
So what can you eat on the carnivore diet then? Simple - meat, eggs, and if you’re able to tolerate it, dairy (cheese, butter, milk, etc.). It sounds brutal, so why are more and more people flocking to carnivore and subjecting themselves to something so restrictive?
The results speak for themselves. Potential benefits include weight loss, better digestion, a healthier inflammatory response, stronger mental clarity, and more stable energy levels. This really comes down to two key mechanisms:
- You’re eliminating inflammatory plant-based nutrients that can cause more harm than good.
- You’re forcing your body to pivot from using carbs for fuel to burning fat for fuel, which leads to better metabolic health (and potentially relief from autoimmune conditions).
Plus, the diet is a whole lot easier to adhere to with such a short carnivore diet food list to pull from. You’ll have your staples that you can rotate through to avoid decision fatigue.
You don’t have to track calories, macros, or worry about eating windows if you don’t want to, either. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. Sounds great! Until you realize how tough the cravings can be, that is.
Eliminating entire food groups can be a challenge if you’re used to eating so many different things. The transition will be difficult, but once you get past it, the rest of the carnivore diet timeline should be smooth sailing.
However, you’re always going to deal with some level of cravings for your favorite treats or comfort foods. Social settings can be a bit difficult to navigate, too. This begs the question, can you have a cheat day on carnivore diet?
Can You Have a Cheat Day on Carnivore Diet?
First, let’s be clear about what we mean when we say “carnivore cheat day.” We’re talking about a day where you veer from the diet’s guidelines in any way, shape, or form.
That could be eating some processed junk at your favorite restaurant, or it could even be eating fruits and vegetables. The standards for a cheat day on carnivore diet are different from that of a typical dieting cheat day.
Now, a carnivore diet cheat day sounds harmless, but it’s not as simple as enjoying a piece of cake at a family function or having a traditional cheeseburger every so often.
Reintroducing the plant-based foods you’ve eliminated, even if just temporarily, can wreak havoc on your body and derail your progress. At least, to some extent.
Ultimately, choosing to have a carnivore cheat day depends on your goals, your body’s response to non-carnivore foods, and how much of a setback you’re willing to accept.
Are There Cheat Days on Carnivore Diet?
As the diet is written out, no - there aren’t scheduled carnivore diet cheat days. The regimen is strict on purpose, as plant-based foods can be problematic no matter the quantity they’re consumed in.
This isn’t like keto, where you can cycle in and out of ketosis. Carnivore is an all-in approach that does away with inflammatory and carbohydrate-based foods entirely. That doesn’t mean you can’t try a modified carnivore diet where you indulge in a cheat day every so often, though.
What Happens if You Have a Cheat Day on Carnivore Diet?
So what’s the big deal about the carnivore diet cheat day? What’s the worst that could happen? We want you to be fully aware of what you’re subjecting yourself to when you stray from the diet’s strict protocol:
- Digestive Issues: Bloating, gas, or diarrhea are common carnivore diet side effects when reintroducing carbs, dairy, or processed foods. Your gut has adapted to an all-meat diet, and disrupting that with “foreign foods” will almost inevitably lead to discomfort.
- Blood Sugar Spikes: Carbohydrates (especially refined ones) can send your blood sugar into a frenzy before that notorious crash kick in, leaving you sluggish and craving more.
- Inflammation and Water Retention: Cheating with sugar, grains, or seed oils can quickly reverse the improvements you’ve seen to body composition and the way you feel, leading to joint pain, puffiness, and bloating.
- Mental and Emotional Setbacks: It’s a slippery slope. One cheat day can lead to more. Sugar and carb cravings can come back strong, making it harder to get back on track. There’s also the guilt that comes with cheating on the carnivore diet.
Now, everyone’s experience with a carnivore cheat day is going to be unique. One thing we’ve seen across the board, though, is the longer you’ve been a strict carnivore, the more severe the consequences will be.
So, is it OK to Have a Cheat Day on Carnivore Diet?
So can you have a cheat day on carnivore diet or not? As we said earlier, that’s entirely up to you. There’s probably a specific health reason (or maybe a few) that brought you to try carnivore in the first place. Ask yourself, how serious are you about those goals?
If you’re just interested in carnivore diet weight loss or other metabolic benefits, sure - an occasional indulgence might not completely derail the progress you’ve made. The stakes are higher if you’re managing an autoimmune condition, though.
At any rate, how you cheat matters. You need to be careful about the foods you spoil yourself with and how you manage recovery. That being said, let’s share some tips on enjoying the occasional carnivore diet cheat day below.
Enjoying a Carnivore Diet Cheat Day Without Undoing Progress
The key to making a carnivore cheat day work for you is minimizing damage and keeping your eyes on the prize. While a single cheat meal isn’t going to set you back to square one, the degree to which it derails you is dependent on:
- What you eat (and how much of it you eat).
- What you do in the wake of your carnivore cheat day to get back on track.
- How often you cheat on carnivore diet.
We’ll provide some carnivore diet dinner ideas, carnivore diet desserts, and even carnivore diet snack ideas if you’re looking to keep the damage minimal.
Practicing Damage Control in Your Carnivore Cheat Days
A cheat day doesn’t have to mean a junk food binge. In fact, you can technically spoil yourself with an animal-based “cheat day” to avoid “cheating” at all! Enjoying cheese on carnivore diet, heavy cream, or egg-based treats can keep you in line with the diet’s rules.
But if you’re going to splurge on some plant-based foods, the ones you eat matter. Here are some that could be seen as “less inflammatory” and problematic compared to bread and sugar:
- Fruit: Berries (lowest in sugar), oranges, or bananas for a quick carb fix.
- Honey: A natural sweetener that fits within an animal-based “cheat” framework.
- Sweet Potatoes or White Rice: Easier to digest than grains or legumes, good for those who want carb refeeding without heavy gut irritation.
Some other fun recipes are pork rinds with sour cream dip or bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. Or, maybe treat yourself to a carnivore diet breakfast of omelets with mushrooms or onions.
The worst carnivore cheat meals you could eat are those with seed oils, deep-fried foods, processed sugars, refined carbs, and gluten-heavy foods. All of these are highly inflammatory processed junk.
They’ll lead to gut discomfort, blood sugar spikes and crashes, and intense cravings down the road. Steer clear of them at all costs. If you have to eat carnivore diet fast food, order smart and ask for a burger protein style with no veggies or sauce.
Stay on Track With Carnivore Snax
What if we told you that you could satisfy cravings without straying from the diet’s principles? It’s true. Carnivore Snax has developed the tastiest meat chips from just two ingredients: meat and salt. That’s it! Yet, they’ve been referred to as meat pastries by our customers.
They start out with a delightful airy crunch but quickly begin melting in your mouth, as the tantalizing flavors take over your taste buds and leave you longing for that next bite. Feel free to indulge as you’re not cheating on carnivore diet at all!
Plus, you can feel good about these treats since they’re sourced from the most elite, ethical regenerative farms in the nation. There are so many varieties available to keep things fresh and fun, too:
Try them all and discover your new favorite carnivore indulgence today. In the meantime, we want to provide some insight on recovering from a carnivore diet cheat day.
Carnivore Diet Cheat Day Recovery
What you do after a cheat day matters as much as what you eat during it. If you ate carbs (which is likely with a carnivore diet cheat day), you’re going to feel dehydrated since carbs suck the water out of you. Rehydrate aggressively with plenty of water and carnivore electrolytes.
It might be a good idea to give your body, more specifically, your digestive system, a break. The carnivore diet and intermittent fasting go together well in general, so don’t eat for 16-24 hours or at least keep your meals light to reset digestion.
The other school of thought is you need to get your body back into fat adaptation ASAP - so follow up the next day by eating plenty of fatty meats.
The biggest mistake we see made with carnivore cheat days is letting guilt turn one cheat into a downward spiral. The faster you get back to your routine, the less impact it will have on your progress. Speaking of guilt…
The Psychological Side of Cheat Days
Cheat days can test your discipline, mindset, and long-term commitment to the carnivore diet. Do you actually need a cheat day, or is this more a matter of habit than real desire? If a cheat day is only going to trigger more cravings, it’s not a good idea to give in.
This is something we see among those who use food for stress relief. It’s important to avoid using cheat days as an emotional crutch. Instead, find healthier coping mechanisms like exercise, journaling, meditation - the list goes on and on.
What works best for us is referring back to our “why” for starting carnivore. Think about how far you’ve come, and the thought of undoing your hard work should be enough to keep you on track!
How Often Should You Have a Cheat Day on Carnivore Diet?
There’s no universal rule for how often you can indulge in a carnivore cheat day - after all, you’re technically not supposed to ever stray from the diet’s protocol.
That being said, a cheat meal on carnivore diet once every few weeks or months will not derail progress. You could also schedule carnivore diet cheat meals around milestones, especially if you’re following the regimen for weight management purposes.
What matters most is you’re being self-aware. If a cheat meal on carnivore diet helps you stay on track overall, it may be worth it. But if it leads to cravings, inflammation, or a loss of control, it’s ultimately causing you more harm than good.
Closing Thoughts on Having a Cheat Day on Carnivore Diet
From what you eat to effective carnivore diet cheat day recovery, we hope this guide to enjoying the occasional cheat meal on carnivore diet has left you with clarity on how you can use these to manage cravings and reward yourself for staying consistent.
So can you have a cheat day on carnivore diet? Ultimately it’s up to you. That’s the beauty in carnivore - it’s a versatile approach to nutrition that puts you in control of your health and happiness.
If going off-plan every few weeks or months for special occasions doesn’t lead to intense bloating, cravings, and setbacks, great! Just be sure to choose less inflammatory, animal-based options when possible to manage damage.
But with delicious carnivore chips just a few clicks away, why bother subjecting yourself to the consequences of a carnivore cheat meal? You deserve better, and we’re here to provide it. Spoil yourself today!
