Can I Use Hot Sauce on the Carnivore Diet?

Hot sauce is a staple condiment in countless households, but if you're trying to follow a strict carnivore diet, you may wonder if it's "allowed". After all, the carnivore diet is all about only consuming animal products (beef, pork, poultry, and seafood).

But where does hot sauce come in? Can you use hot sauce on the carnivore diet or is that considered "cheating".

Let's find out!

Key Takeaways

Hot sauce is allowed on the carnivore diet but with certain conditions. Look for sauces with minimal ingredients like vinegar, chili peppers, and salt.

Avoid hot sauces with added sugars, artificial preservatives, or other additives not aligned with the carnivore diet.

Spice levels matter—choose a heat level that works for your gut, and consider starting with milder options if you're sensitive.

If following a strict carnivore diet, it's best to skip hot sauces and other condiments entirely.

Craft hot sauces like Reaper Unleashed and Texas Ex's are excellent options with less than 3 net carbs and limited ingredients.

What is The Carnivore Diet?

To answer the question, let's first understand what the carnivore diet entails. The diet involves consuming meat, fish, and other animal products such as eggs, while restricting or eliminating plant-based foods altogether.

The carnivore diet is popular among athletes and those looking to lose weight. Even celebrities such as Joe Rogan have tried out and openly promotes the carnivore diet.

While some people are more skeptical about such an extreme diet and worried about health repercussions, some research backs up the benefits of more balanced high-protein diets.

There have also been studies done directly on the diet from Harvard and Boston University which shows that it helps in weight loss, insulin sensitivity, gut health, and heart health.

All in all, it's a fairly simple and straightforward diet. Eat meat, and avoid everything else. However, there is a little bit of a gray area when it comes to some spices and sauces.

Have you started the Carnivore diet?

• No, I'm still researching it
• I just started and learning
• I've doing it for a while now but still have questions

Is Hot Sauce "Allowed" on the Carnivore Diet?

While hot sauce is typically made with minimal plant-based ingredients, it can vary depending on the brand you choose. So, whether or not hot sauce is allowed on the carnivore diet comes down to three things:

1. Are you using herbs and spices?

2. How was the hot sauce made?

3. How strict of a carnivore diet do you want to follow?

Ultimately, using hot sauce in the carnivore diet is a personal choice. It is technically "allowed" with some hot sauces (not all). This is because the diet does allow limited spices such as salt, pepper, and vinegar.

You of course can skip this altogether if you want a very strict diet, but you don't need to.

The problem is also that some hot sauces include sugar, artificial preservatives, and other additives that are not allowed on the carnivore diet. However, there are many hot sauce brands that are still making hot sauces with quality/limited ingredients, such as just vinegar, chili peppers, and salt.

So, Can You Have Hot Sauce On the Carnivore Diet?

To recap:

If you are not following a strict carnivore diet, if you're choosing to use herbs and spices (which is allowed on the carnivore diet), and you can find a simple hot sauce that is limited in ingredients (such as vinegar, chili peppers, and salt), then you can use hot sauce on the carnivore diet.

Look for hot sauces with a short ingredient list, and avoid any that have added sugars or preservatives.

However, if you are on a strict carnivore diet or the hot sauce you want to use it full of all kinds of ingredients (such as different oils, dyes, fruits, etc.), then no, you shouldn't.

Ultimately though, it comes down to a personal choice, so as long as you can find a simple hot sauce, feel free to indulge a little!

What About Spice Levels?

Another consideration when using hot sauce on the carnivore diet is the spice level. Many hot sauces are made with fiery chili peppers that can irritate the gut, leading to discomfort and inflammation.

If you're sensitive to spicy foods, start with milder options and gradually work your way up to hotter varieties. Most hot sauce brands offer mild, medium, and hot options, making it easy to find the right spice level for you.

If not, you can also use the Scoville Scale to get a rough estimate of just how hot the hot sauce is.

Does Hot Sauce Provide Health Benefits?

We also want to mention that hot sauce can offer some health benefits when used in moderation.

Chili peppers, which are the main ingredient in hot sauces, contain capsaicin, a compound that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Capsaicin has also been linked to increased metabolism, which means that hot sauce can help with weight loss and weight management.

In addition to that, hot sauce can help you get the most out of your meals. Research suggests that capsaicin increases fullness and reduces appetite, which can lead to eating less food overall.

So while using hot sauce on the carnivore diet is technically "allowed" if it's made with minimal ingredients, it also comes with potential health benefits.

Just remember to choose your hot sauce wisely and use it in moderation.

Craft Hot Sauces For The Carnivore Diet

As always, we wouldn't leave you guys hanging without at least a couple of suggestions. Ideally you want to find hot sauces with zero carbs... or at least close to it. Also, remember that you are looking for "net" carbs. Since fiber cancels out carbs!

So with that being said, here are two craft hot sauces for the carnivore diet! (These both have less than 3 net carbs, which is perfect for a low carb carnivore diet)

1. Reaper Unleashed

Reaper Unleashed is a balance of flavor and heat. Made from the infamous Carolina Reaper pepper. It's not the hottest sauce on the market, but it still packs some heat. The hot sauce had limited ingredients, making it perfect for carnivore.

2. Texas Ex's

Texas Ex's is made with 7 different peppers, Jalapenos, Habaneros, Red Fresno, Scotch Bonnets, Yellow Moruga Scorpions, Bhut Jolakia-Ghost Peppers, and the Brown Moruga Trinidad Scorpion Peppers.

It's a multi award winning hot sauce that we couldn't recommend more!

Balancing Flavor and Health on the Carnivore Diet

To wrap things up and to answer the question, "Can I use hot sauce on the carnivore diet?". the answer is yes, but with some caveats.

Look for hot sauce brands made with quality ingredients, avoid those with added sugars, fruits, and preservatives. You want as limited ingredients as you can find.

If you are following a strict carnivore diet, then you are better off skipping the hot sauce and any other types of condiments and sauces.

Hot sauce can be a great way to add variety and flavor to your meals on the carnivore diet. Especially when it's such a limited diet. While meat is undoubtedly delicious on its own, adding hot sauce can give it an extra kick of flavor! (And HEAT).