Carnivore Bar Review

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across Carnivore Bar, which is essentially a pressed cake made of pounded dried meat (from grass-fed and grass-finished cattle) that has been mixed into a paste with melted grass-fed tallow (rendered beef fat). This is also known as pemmican, which was originally made by Indigenous people in North America and later utilized by Arctic explorers.

I maintain a reasonably active lifestyle consisting of regular CrossFit workouts, daily walks with my German Shepherd, and manual labor on my homestead. Despite that, I only eat two meals per day and rarely snack. However, I do occasionally find myself in situations where having access to a nutritious snack can be helpful, like when hiking, or when out and about running errands that interfere with my typical meal timing.

The problem is that most of the so-called “healthy” snacks on the market are filled with processed carbohydrates, cheap protein and/or extra ingredients (e.g., spices and herbs) that can irritate your gut. And your options are even more limited if you follow an animal-based or carnivore diet. 

Carnivore Bar is one of the only products I’ve found that is both animal-based and made with clean ingredients, and I’ve been leveraging it when I need to refuel with protein and fat while on the go. 

For this review, I’ve invited members of the MK Media team to share their experience with the Carnivore Bar in various situations, such as hiking and skiing. I also asked them to rate the product on a few key attributes in order to give you more than just my own perspective on factors like its taste and texture.

Six Key Facts About Carnivore Bar

If you’re thinking about trying Carnivore Bar, here’s a quick summary of the most important things to know:

1. Carnivore Bar is a processed food. After all, the meat used in the bars has been dried, ground into a powder, and then mixed with tallow and other ingredients. However, drying meat and grinding it into powder is an ancient technique that doesn’t involve harsh chemicals, stabilizers, preservatives or other junk used in conventional food processing. From that perspective, I consider the Carnivore Bar a real food option, more comparable to freeze-dried beef organs than conventional protein bars.
2. Each bar has a whopping 400 calories, which come from high-quality protein and fat.
3. You can choose between several flavors of bars (as well as plain), depending on your taste and potential sensitivities to herbs and spices.
4. The bars are shelf-stable for at least 12 months, making them an ideal choice for emergency rations or extended outdoor activities, such as hiking. (If stored in a cool and dry environment, they’ll likely stay edible for much longer.) 
5. The salted and unsalted versions of Carnivore Bar are among the few snack options available to strict carnivores because they contain no plant-based ingredients.
6. The unflavored options are ideal for those suffering or healing from gut issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease.

It’s worth mentioning that you can also use Carnivore Bars as meal replacement bars. For comparison, most of the healthy meal replacement shakes on the market also contain approximately 400 calories. Of course, if you’re a big eater like I am, you’ll probably need two to three bars to replace an entire meal (unless you’re OK with a temporary caloric deficit). 

I usually use Carnivore Bars to replace part of a meal. For example, if we’re out all day and come home past our regular dinner time (around 5 p.m.), I may have a Carnivore Bar in the late afternoon and then eat less for dinner (thus reducing the likelihood of my sleep being negatively impacted, which can happen when I overeat too close to bedtime). Occasionally, I allow myself a low-calorie day by replacing a full meal with a single Carnivore Bar, as this helps kickstart ketosis and facilitate fat burning.

Ingredients and Nutritional Analysis

As of this writing, Carnivore Bar is available in six flavors: Salted, Unsalted, Zesty Garlic, Honey Salted, Honey Unsalted and Honey BBQ. The base ingredients for all of these flavors are grass-finished beef and grass-finished tallow, sourced from Joyce Farms in the United States (which raises animals in a regenerative manner that improves animal welfare, as well as soil and meat quality). The brand also uses Redmond Real Salt, which is one of the cleanest salt options available.

From a macronutrient perspective, you get 400 calories from 20 grams of protein and 35 grams of fat with each bar. If you do the math, you’ll notice the unsweetened bars have a fat-to-protein ratio (from a caloric perspective) of 80:20. That’s ideal if you follow a very-low-carb or ketogenic diet, ensuring you get enough fat to fuel your metabolism. 

The bars that contain honey also provide 7 grams of carbohydrates and 20 additional calories. 

I appreciate the use of raw honey, which is rich in beneficial enzymes and trace minerals that are absent in conventional, heated honey. I’m not on a strict carnivore or keto diet, and I enjoy raw honey on a regular basis. However, even if you follow a relatively strict ketogenic diet, 7 grams of carbs is unlikely to kick you out of ketosis. As a result, I’d consider even the honey-sweetened Carnivore Bars suitable for low-carb dieters.

One ingredient category that has the potential to cause gut irritation (especially if you have sensitivities or preexisting gut issues) is herbs and spices. That’s why I’d recommend avoiding the Zesty Garlic and Honey BBQ flavors if you suffer from IBS, IBD, or similar conditions. For everyone else, those two flavors are delicious! 

It’s also worth noting that Carnivore Bar has partnered with my friend James Barry, who owns Pluck, a company that makes organ-based seasonings. Carnivore Bar uses Pluck in two of its flavors (Zesty Garlic and Honey BBQ), which means you not only get delicious herbs and spice, but also a microdose of organ meats (including liver, heart, kidney, spleen and pancreas).

Taste and Texture (The MK Team’s Test Results)

Depending on what flavor of Carnivore Bar you pick, it tastes somewhere between bland and delicious. For example, the unsalted Carnivore Bar just tastes like tallow (i.e., relatively neutral but certainly not exciting). The Honey BBQ is on the other side of the spectrum; it tastes delicious and is easy to get hooked on. 

After consuming a significant number of Carnivore Bars over the past few months, I alternate between the flavored and unflavored (but salted) versions. I’d argue that most people who don’t have acute gut issues and aren’t following a strict carnivore diet will enjoy the flavored bars more. The plain versions aren’t likely to attract the masses, but they may appeal to those who aim to consume absolutely zero plant-based ingredients.

What about texture? I’m not going to lie: Carnivore Bar has an unusual texture, and it can take some getting used to. It has a crumbly yet creamy consistency, resulting from the ground meat mixed with pure tallow (rendered beef fat).

Some people describe the texture as a mix between a granola bar and beef jerky. That’s a reasonable approximation. It took me only one or two bars to get used to the texture. It’s not my favorite in the world (e.g., I prefer the texture of jerky, regular ground meat or steak over pemmican), but I appreciate it for what it is — a clean and nutrient-dense meat snack.

However, since taste and overall satisfaction with this or any other food is highly-subjective, I asked three members of the MK Media team to test Carnivore Bar along with me, providing general feedback as well as individual ratings on taste, texture, portability and satiability.

Here’s our composite and individual ratings, as well as comments from the crew: 

“The Honey BBQ’s flavor reminded me of something between beef jerky and a smoked, reverse-seared ribeye steak. It was easy to bring along for a day of chasing fresh powder at Mt. Bachelor, and helped me skip the long lines at the lodge with subpar food. I felt satisfied way more than I would have with just a normal protein bar.”

— Greg Dawson, Email Marketing Manager

“I tested Carnivore Bard while out on a handful of full-day bike rides, and the product kept me satiated for hours. That’s worth noting given the small size and easy packability. However, I found both the taste and texture to be quite unusual, to the point that finishing a full bar was a chore. I would only choose this product in cases where I have limited backpack or pannier space and need to ensure I don’t run out of food, like on a multi-day ride or hike. In other situations, I’d opt for jerky instead.”

— Jim Malec, Chief of Operations

“I found the Carnivore Bar to be great for hiking! It was easy to throw in my bag, kept me full, and I felt good about the ingredients. This was my first time trying pemmican, so the texture took a little getting used to, but I found that I liked it more after chilling it in the fridge. The Honey BBQ flavor is my favorite!”

— Alidia Vane, Brand Partnerships Manager

To be honest, I didn’t think that my team would enjoy the Carnivore Bar as much as I do, because I’ve realized that not many people share my perspective on food. (I view it primarily as a source of fuel and nutrition, with taste and presentation being of lower priority.)

That’s why I was surprised when most of the team shared their final ratings on taste and texture. What wasn’t surprising was the positive ratings across the board for portability and satisfaction. 

My takeaway from my team’s feedback (and the input from my wife and kids) is that the Carnivore Bar is an excellent choice for anyone following an animal-based diet who is willing to adjust to unusual textures in exchange for access to the highest-quality snack bars on the market. 

However, if you’re a picky eater or someone who isn’t fond of exploring new flavors or textures, you might not like the Carnivore Bar (at least not the plain versions).

How I Leverage Carnivore Bar

As I mentioned in the intro, I’m not a big snacker. I try to fuel my body in as few meals as possible (usually two meals a day), and I don’t mind feeling hungry in between meals. Most of the time, it’s just cravings, not real hunger, that I might experience on stressful afternoons. 

However, I regularly encounter situations where having a high-protein, high-fat snack can be beneficial. For example, a few months ago, I skipped breakfast to spend half a day participating in Schutzhund practice with our German Shepherd. 

A couple of hours into the practice, my empty stomach reminded me that I didn’t eat breakfast that morning. So, I grabbed two Carnivore Bars and refueled with 800 calories worth of protein and fat. That kept me satiated until we had dinner later that day.

That was proof that a couple of Carnivore Bars could easily replace a complete meal in a pinch.

What impressed me was that neither of the two Carnivore Bars melted, despite one being carried in the pocket of my hoodie (underneath a thick winter coat) and the other resting on the car’s dashboard, exposed to direct sunlight for several hours.

Since then, I always grab one or two Carnivore Bars when I leave the house for extended periods. 

For example, when traveling to health conferences or visiting my family in Austria, I always carry a few Carnivore Bars in my backpack. 

My wife and I also store several Carnivore Bars in our emergency backpack, which we keep in our cars, stocked with essential survival and trauma care gear in the event of an emergency. Considering their long shelf life, I replace them once a year.

How It Compares to Other Products

Aside from being capable of replacing a complete meal, Carnivore Bar is an excellent choice for replacing any other snack option. The problem with most snacks is that they’re full of processed carbs and other junk ingredients that spike your blood sugar, make you bloated, and cause inflammation over time.

Based on our dietary preferences at the Kummer house, our preferred snack options are beef jerky or beef sticks. Unfortunately, most beef snacks are loaded with spices and herbs that cause me to bloat. As a result, I try to avoid them (even though I like their taste). 

These days, I prefer grabbing a Carnivore Bar on those rare occasions when I’m at home and feel like I could use some extra energy (e.g., on days when I’ve pushed too hard in the gym).

Cost and Discount Code

Besides the unusual texture, the biggest downside to Carnivore Bars is their high price. A six-pack retails for $95 ($16 per bar), which is certainly not inexpensive.

Ultimately, what you’re paying for is the convenience of having access to a shelf-stable, highly nutritious snack that doesn’t contain any junk ingredients. 

As a result, I wouldn’t recommend using the Carnivore Bar as a daily replacement for meals or snacks (unless you have deep pockets), but rather as an option when you’re out and about and need access to healthy food. Additionally, you can consider incorporating the Carnivore Bar into your emergency food reserves to supplement or replace lower-quality options, such as MREs.

If you’d like to give Carnivore Bar a try, be sure to use code MICHAELKUMMER for 10% off. If you combine my code with purchasing Carnivore Bar in bulk, you can reduce the cost per bar.

Shop Carnivore Bar

Summary and Final Verdict

I love Carnivore Bar because it’s one of the few meat snacks I can enjoy without experiencing any digestive discomfort. I like the taste and don’t mind the unusual texture, which is why the product has found a permanent place in my pantry and emergency backpack.

And when we move to our new 40-acre homestead (where we’re planning to take food security to the next level), we’ll keep a stash of Carnivore Bars in our larder.

I also think it’s among the best available snack options for those following an animal-based diet, especially considering there’s an option available for those who want to consume absolutely zero plant products.

What’s your take on the Carnivore Bar? Do you think it’s worth the asking price? Let me know in the comments!

Michael Kummer

Michael Kummer is a healthy living enthusiast and CrossFit athlete whose goal is to help people achieve optimal health by bridging the gap between ancestral living and the demands of modern society.