Can You Have Milk on Carnivore Diet?

We get asked all the time, can you have milk on carnivore diet? The answer might surprise you. There are two schools of thoughts, and honestly, one of them isn’t right while the other is wrong. It all comes down to how you want to go about following this unique nutritional protocol.

1. Milk is an animal product, and all animal products are fair game.
2. Milk contains dietary irritants such as lactose and carbs, which are ultimately what the carnivore diet seeks to eliminate.

So, which side of the fence do you fall on - milk or no milk? We’ll help you weigh both sides below and come to a conclusion you feel good about. You’ll even learn about the best milk on carnivore diet and alternatives you can enjoy instead. 

Can You Have Milk on Carnivore Diet?

So, can I drink milk on carnivore diet or not? The beauty of this diet is that it gives you the freedom to mold however you see fit. Very few people actually follow a strict carnivore diet the way it was originally written. These days, the modified carnivore diet is far more common.

But milk is quite contentious, and you’ll see why in a moment. First things first - is milk carnivore friendly or not?

Is Milk Carnivore Friendly?

Short answer is yes. Milk is an approved beverage on the carnivore diet food list. It’s actually one of three things you can drink on this diet - water and bone broth being the other two.

At the end of the day milk comes from cows, and last we checked, those are animals. Through the same logic that you can eat cheese on the carnivore diet or enjoy eggs, you can drink milk. All of these things are animal-derived.

There are just a few question marks surrounding milk on carnivore diet, and that’s where things get a little convoluted. Let’s start with the carb content that turns a lot of people off.  

The Carb Dilemma

You’ll notice a common theme across all the different ideas on your carnivore meal plan - they don’t contain any carbs. Steak, chicken, fish, eggs, pork, wild game - pure protein and fat. 

That’s part of what makes carnivore such a unique dietary regimen. You’re transforming your body’s energy production processes, forcing it to run on fat (ketones) rather than carbs (glucose). But dairy is different. Cheese, milk, butter - these things DO have carbs.

More specifically, milk and other dairy products have lactose. This is a dairy sugar that a lot of people are more sensitive to than they realize. It’s why people get gassy or feel cramps after eating a ton of ice cream or a big bowl of pasta with cheese on it (among other things, of course).

Drinking milk, whether on carnivore diet or not, can open the door to gastrointestinal discomfort, bloating, and other digestive issues. Your whole rationale for trying the carnivore diet could be to ease gut discomfort, and this one decision could derail that goal altogether. 

Potential For Additives

Milk that comes straight from a cow’s udder is totally fair game on the carnivore diet. But be honest with yourself - is that really the type of milk you’re drinking? Probably not!

Most people buy their milk from the grocery store, and that milk has usually been processed. How processed is up in the air - it depends. But most commercially available milk has additives, hormones, and is pasteurized, which some purists believe reduces the nutrient value.

We’re not here to tell you that you cannot drink milk for these reasons. We just want to lay it all out there and let you make the most informed decision possible. If you do decide there’s room on the menu for milk, you better make sure it’s the BEST milk on carnivore diet!

The Case For Milk

Lactose aside, there is some good stuff in milk that earns it a conversation in the context of carnivore. Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, and high-quality protein. Specifically, casein protein. This is a unique type that’s pretty much only found in dairy.

Full milk has tons of healthy fats, too, which can make it one of the better high-fat snacks you have access to when you need to meet your daily quota but don’t feel like eating more meat or eggs. It’s also a very versatile ingredient that can be used in carnivore diet desserts.

Best Milk on Carnivore Diet

You’ll be greeted by quite a few types of milk at the local supermarket. Obviously, not all varieties are made equal. The goal is to avoid anything that’s overly processed, which rules out a few options (looking at you, almond milk drinkers - it’s not even real milk!). 

Full-Fat or Lactose-Free Milk

This is the way to go if you’ve decided to enjoy milk on the carnivore diet. Full-fat or whole milk is as close to what Mother Nature meant you to drink as possible. It’ll have higher levels of Omega-3s and vitamins, and it also supports more ethical and sustainable farming practices.

Then there’s lactose-free milk, which is really unique. As the name suggests, all the lactose has been removed - so it’ll taste quite a bit different, but it’s probably a safer play if you’re sensitive.

What About Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk in its purest form, untouched by pasteurization or homogenization processes. You’ve probably heard the good and the bad with this type of milk. People say it tastes better and has more of the natural enzymes and beneficial bacteria that you want in your diet.

Others say it’s unsafe. We tend to agree, because there’s no telling how someone made the raw milk you’re buying. It’s totally unregulated. Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria leading to foodborne illnesses. Probably not worth the risk. 

What Can You Drink in Place of Milk?

Unfortunately, no coconut or almond milk on carnivore diet allowed. Those are plant-based alternatives to milk, so you need to ditch them if you’re embarking on this dietary adventure.

You can consider alternatives like aged cheeses or yogurt. The fermentation process breaks down some of the lactose and can be gentler on the stomach.

Final Words on Milk on Carnivore Diet

In closing, can you drink milk on carnivore diet? You decide! There’s pros and cons to drinking milk while on the carnivore diet, and the type of milk you consume matters more than anything else. 

Our advice? Remove it altogether, and stick with a strict carnivore diet approach for a few months - no dairy at all. This gets you to a new baseline. Then you can reintroduce milk and see how your body reacts. If it doesn’t cause any flare-ups, great! Otherwise, you’re probably better off avoiding milk on carnivore diet.

Our blog has more resources on the carnivore diet side effects and healthy carnivore diet snacks to keep things fresh and fun. All that’s left to do now, though, is stock up on our meat chips - the #1 treat for the loyal carnivore who wants to satisfy their cravings!