Carnivore Diet Shopping List: Everything You Need
The carnivore diet shopping list is the simplest grocery list you will ever use: meat, eggs, butter, salt, and optionally dairy and seafood. Unlike other diets that require a cart full of specialized ingredients, the carnivore list fits on an index card. This guide breaks down everything you need organized by store section, with quantities for one person per week and budget vs. premium options for every category.
What Is the Complete Carnivore Diet Shopping List?
Meat Counter / Butcher Section
This is where you will spend 80% of your grocery budget and time.
Primary Proteins (buy every week):
| Item | Budget Tier | Premium Tier | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | 73/27 or 80/20 conventional | Grass-fed 80/20 | 5-7 lbs |
| Steak | Chuck steak, sirloin | Ribeye, NY strip | 1-3 lbs |
| Roast | Chuck roast | Grass-fed chuck or brisket | 3-4 lbs |
Secondary Proteins (rotate weekly):
| Item | Budget Tier | Premium Tier | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Bone-in thighs | Pasture-raised thighs | 2-3 lbs |
| Pork | Pork shoulder, chops | Heritage pork | 2-3 lbs |
| Fish | Canned salmon/sardines | Wild-caught salmon fillets | 1-2 lbs |
| Lamb | Lamb shoulder | Lamb chops, rack | 1-2 lbs |
| Turkey | Ground turkey | Turkey breast | 1-2 lbs |
Organ Meats (1-2 times per week):
| Item | Budget Tier | Premium Tier | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef liver | Conventional | Grass-fed | 4-8 oz |
| Beef heart | Conventional | Grass-fed | 8-12 oz |
| Chicken liver | Conventional | Pasture-raised | 4-8 oz |
Cured and Processed (optional):
| Item | Notes | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | Check ingredients — avoid sugar-cured if strict | 1-2 lbs |
| Sausage | Look for minimal ingredients (pork, salt, spices) | 1 lb |
| Deli meat | Roast beef, turkey — check for fillers | 0.5-1 lb |
| Hot dogs | Beef franks, check ingredients | 1 package |
Dairy Aisle
Dairy is optional on carnivore. Many people include it; strict carnivore excludes it. If you tolerate dairy well, these are your options:
| Item | Budget Tier | Premium Tier | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | Store brand | Kerrygold, grass-fed | 1-2 lbs |
| Cheese | Cheddar block | Aged cheddar, parmesan | 8-16 oz |
| Heavy cream | Store brand | Organic | 1 pint |
| Sour cream | Full fat | Organic | 8 oz |
Egg Section
Eggs are a carnivore staple and one of the most nutritious, cost-effective foods available.
| Item | Budget Tier | Premium Tier | Weekly Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs | Conventional | Pasture-raised | 2-4 dozen |
Buying tip: Costco and Sam’s Club sell eggs in 5-dozen flats for significantly less per egg than standard grocery stores.
Pantry Staples
The carnivore “pantry” is refreshingly minimal:
Essential:
- Salt: Sea salt, Redmond Real Salt, or pink Himalayan salt. This is your primary seasoning. Read more about salt on carnivore.
- Butter: Doubles as a cooking fat and flavor enhancer
- Beef tallow or lard: For high-heat cooking. Render your own from beef fat trimmings (free from butchers) or buy pre-made.
Optional:
- Bone broth: Store-bought or homemade. Useful for electrolytes, cooking, and sipping.
- Black pepper: If you include it in your version of carnivore
- Hot sauce: Some carnivore dieters use it. Check ingredients for sugar.
- Coffee: Not strictly carnivore but widely included
Freezer Section
These items are useful for convenience and emergency meals:
- Frozen burger patties: Keep a box for quick meals
- Frozen shrimp: Quick to thaw and cook
- Frozen fish fillets: Salmon, cod, or tilapia
- Bone broth concentrate: Frozen cubes for quick broth
Canned Goods Aisle
- Canned sardines: In olive oil or water
- Canned salmon: Wild-caught, bone-in for calcium
- Canned tuna: In olive oil or water
What Is the First-Week Carnivore Starter List?
If you are just starting the carnivore diet, here is exactly what to buy for your first week:
First-Week Shopping List
| Item | Quantity | Est. Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef (80/20) | 5 lbs | $25 |
| Ribeye or NY strip steaks | 2 steaks (1 lb each) | $24 |
| Eggs | 2 dozen | $6 |
| Butter (salted) | 1 lb | $5 |
| Bacon | 1 lb | $7 |
| Salt (sea salt or Redmond) | 1 container | $5 |
| Bone broth | 1 quart | $5 |
| Cheese (cheddar block) | 8 oz | $4 |
| Total | ~$81 |
This provides approximately 2,000-2,500 calories per day for 7 days. It is intentionally simple — you can expand your variety in week two once you know what you enjoy.
First-Week Meal Suggestions
Day 1-2: Keep it familiar
- Breakfast: Eggs and bacon
- Dinner: Burger patties with cheese and butter
Day 3-4: Add variety
- Breakfast: Eggs scrambled in butter
- Dinner: Ribeye steak with salt and butter
Day 5-7: Find your rhythm
- You may naturally shift to two meals per day or even one
- Rotate between ground beef, steak, and eggs
- Sip bone broth if you feel low-energy or need electrolytes
How Do You Organize a Weekly Shopping Routine?
The Sunday Strategy
Most carnivore dieters shop once per week. Here is an efficient routine:
- Check your freezer and fridge (5 minutes): See what you have left from last week
- Write your list (2 minutes): It will be short. Ground beef, eggs, one rotating protein, butter if needed.
- Shop the perimeter (15 minutes): Meat section, dairy aisle, and checkout. Skip every interior aisle.
- Batch cook (2-3 hours): Immediately prep your meals for the week
Total grocery time: 20-25 minutes. This is one of the hidden benefits of carnivore — you spend a fraction of the time other shoppers spend wandering aisles.
Stock Rotation
- Monday-Wednesday: Eat refrigerated fresh/cooked meats
- Thursday-Saturday: Thaw and cook frozen portions
- Sunday: Shop and cook again
Freezer Stocking Strategy
Maintain a rotating freezer stock so you always have backup:
- Always in freezer: 5 lbs ground beef, 1 whole chicken or bag of thighs, 1 roast
- Restock when used: Replace any item you pull from the freezer during your next shopping trip
- Bulk buy opportunities: When ground beef goes on sale, buy 10-20 lbs and freeze in 1 lb portions
For more on budgeting your carnivore groceries, see our guide to eating carnivore on a budget.
Budget vs. Premium: What Is Actually Worth the Upgrade?
Not all premium upgrades matter equally. Here is what is worth the extra money and what is not:
Worth the Upgrade
- Eggs (pasture-raised): Significantly higher in omega-3s, vitamin D, and vitamin A compared to conventional. The price difference ($3-$4 extra per dozen) buys meaningfully better nutrition.
- Butter (grass-fed, like Kerrygold): Higher in vitamin K2, CLA, and omega-3s. Tastes noticeably better. Only $1-$2 more per pound.
- Beef liver (grass-fed): Since you eat small quantities, the price difference is minimal and nutrient density is higher.
Nice but Not Necessary
- Grass-fed ground beef: Better fatty acid profile, but at nearly double the price, conventional ground beef is perfectly healthy. Upgrade if budget allows.
- Grass-fed steaks: Leaner with a different flavor profile. Some people prefer the marbling of conventional grain-fed beef.
- Wild-caught vs. farm-raised fish: Wild-caught has a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Worth it for salmon; less critical for white fish.
Not Worth the Premium
- Organic chicken vs. conventional: The nutritional difference is minimal. Save your money.
- Specialty salts (truffle salt, smoked salt): Nice for variety but no nutritional advantage over standard sea salt.
- Branded vs. store brand butter: If both are grass-fed, store brand is fine.
How Do You Track What You Buy and Eat?
Keeping a simple record of your groceries and meals has two benefits: you can optimize your budget and ensure you are getting adequate nutrition. An app like Vore lets you track your carnivore meals quickly — just log your meats and quantities. Over time, you will see patterns in what you eat, how much protein you hit, and where your money goes.
This is especially helpful for identifying whether you need to adjust quantities. If you are consistently throwing away spoiled meat, buy less. If you are running out by Thursday, buy more. Data removes the guesswork.
A well-planned shopping list is the foundation of a successful carnivore diet. For more tools and strategies to track your carnivore journey, visit our Carnivore Diet Tracking hub.