Can You Eat Honey on a Carnivore Diet? The Best Honey for the Carnivore Diet

What Is the Carnivore Diet?

Can you eat honey on a Carnivore diet? You may or may not. It all depends on the kind of Carnivore diet you’re following. Wait, what? Isn’t there just one Carnivore diet?

Well, not exactly. Let’s learn about the Carnivore diet and its rules to see if we can find a way to increase the yumminess and add some honey to our Carnivore meals.

The Carnivore diet is a meat-based approach that prioritizes animal-based products and excludes all plant-based foods. By all plant-based foods, I mean everything coming from plants, like fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

The Carnivore dieters aim to achieve weight loss, mental clarity, and reduced inflammation by minimizing carbs and increasing the intake of fat and protein.

These are the general rules and aims of a Carnivore diet. To answer the question, “Can you eat honey on a Carnivore diet?” we need to learn some things about honey, too.

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Types of Honey

If you think honey is honey, you must think again! There are numerous kinds of honey out there, thanks to bees! Each type of honey has its unique flavor, color, and texture.

The variations in honey types are because of the different kinds of flowers and plants the bees choose to collect nectar from. Let’s get to know some popular types of honey.

Wildflower Honey

The honey that bees make from the nectar of wildflowers is called wildflower honey, which has a strong, mixed flavor.

Clover Honey

One of the most common types of honey is clover honey, coming from the nectar of clover plants. This type has a mild, slightly floral taste and a pleasant aroma.

Lavender Honey

Another type widely used in cooking because of its subtle scent and taste is lavender honey, made from lavender blossoms.

Acacia Honey

Acacia honey comes from the nectar of the black locust tree, aka the false acacia tree. It has a light color and a mild, sweet, floral taste.

Manuka Honey

A native New Zealand honey is Manuka honey made from the pollination of manuka bush. With its strong, distinctive flavor, this honey has medicinal features and helps treat wounds and sore throats.

Buckwheat Honey

Coming from the nectar of buckwheat flowers, buckwheat honey is dark and full-bodied with a strong, molasses-like flavor and rich in antioxidants.

Orange Blossom Honey

This honey has a light citrus taste and is used for both culinary and medicinal purposes.

Eucalyptus Honey

It has a bold, slightly medicinal flavor and helps alleviate the symptoms of colds and respiratory issues.

Sourwood Honey

The nectar of the sourwood tree, which is found in the southeastern US, is used to make this honey with a distinct, spicy, buttery flavor profile.

Heather Honey

Heather plants found in Scotland and other heather-rich regions are used to make this dark color and strong, mildly bitter honey.

That’s not all. There are many more types of honey out there, specific to different regions, with their unique taste and color. Different types of honey contain different characteristics and have varying use cases.

So, as we have learned so far, a Carnivore diet excludes all plant-based foods, and different types of honey are made from different kinds of flowers and plants. The question is, can you eat honey on a Carnivore diet?

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Is Honey Carnivore?

As you may guess, honey is not a Carnivore food, and the strict Carnivore diet excludes it as it is a plant-based product containing carbohydrates.

Can You Eat Honey on the Carnivore Diet?

If you aim to reach the Carnivore results, you’d better stick to the rules and avoid honey. However, less strict versions of the Carnivore diet allow minimal amounts of honey as some dieters cannot exclude it for its taste or health benefits.

Anyhow, if you choose to use honey on a Carnivore diet as a natural sweetener, you should minimize your consumption to decrease its negative effects on the Carnivore results.

Can You Have Raw Honey on the Carnivore Diet?

Raw honey is minimally processed and contains more of its natural nutrients, but it is still a plant-based product, and you must avoid it if you’re a true Carnivore.

Having said that, we know that the decision is yours. If you can’t cut honey all at once, you can gradually minimize your consumption so you can cut it after some time.

Also, if it’s hard for you to decide, you can easily consult a healthcare professional or a Carnivore coach to check the effects of including honey in your Carnivore diet.

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How to Eat Honey on a Carnivore Diet?

If you choose to start the Carnivore diet with a relaxed version, which is not strict on forgetting all about carbohydrates, and you wish to use honey, you need to pay attention to the following points.

• Consume in Moderation: Do not overeat honey, and try to minimize your consumption gradually. Even on a relaxed Carnivore diet, you must prioritize animal-based foods.
• Raw Honey: Consume raw, unprocessed honey as it contains more nutrients and enzymes than processed honey.
• Natural Sweetener: You can use minimal honey as a natural sweetener in tea or coffee.
• Pair with Animal Products: Honey can be part of a sauce or glaze for meat dishes in a relaxed Carnivore diet.
• Pre- or Post-Workout: Some Carnivores consume honey as a source of quick energy, especially before or after workouts.
• Monitor Your Body: Consider your body’s reactions when reintroducing honey or other non-carnivorous foods and modify your approach accordingly.

The Benefits of Having Honey on the Carnivore Diet

Although honey is not generally allowed on a strict Carnivore diet, some dieters use it for various health benefits it can offer. Honey contains phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, which can improve various diseases (source).

Honey can have positive effects of curing or alleviating the symptoms of various diseases, including diabetes mellitus, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous system problems, even it can help cancer treatment because of containing antioxidants (source).

Honey is also known as a complementary and alternative medicine for most illnesses (source). Let's learn more about other benefits of honey.

Natural Sweetener

Honey contains glucose and fructose, providing a sweet taste without refined sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Energy Source

Honey is rich in carbohydrates and can provide a quick source of energy for athletes or those doing intense workouts.

Rich in Antioxidants

Honey includes antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids, which can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Flavonoids and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants, are two main bioactive molecules in honey (source).

Immune Support

Some studies show that raw honey has antimicrobial properties, which can support the immune system.

Digestive Benefits

Honey can soothe sore throats and coughs and strengthen the digestive system against bacteria. It also contains polyphenols, which can target inflammatory pathways in gastrointestinal tract disorders, edema, cancer, metabolic diseases, and gut microbiota (source).

Variety

Honey can add variety to the taste and texture of different foods.

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Honey Nutrition

Let’s take a look at the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in 100 grams of honey. You know that the numbers are approximate and can vary based on the type of honey.

• Carbohydrates: ~82.4 g
• Calories: ~ 304 calories
• Niacin (Vitamin B3): ~0.1 mg
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): ~0.03 mg
• Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): ~0.1 mg
• Calcium: ~6 mg
• Iron: ~0.42 mg
• Magnesium: ~2 mg
• Phosphorus: ~4 mg
• Potassium: ~52 mg
• Zinc: ~0.22 mg

Summary

So, although I love honey, I’d better avoid it as I’m following a strict Carnivore diet. The aim of the true Carnivore is to boost weight loss and bring various health benefits by minimizing carbs from plant-based foods.

Honey is a yummy and healthy plant-based product not allowed on the strict Carnivore diet. However, less strict versions of the Carnivore diet may allow minimal honey.

If you can’t omit honey at the beginning of the diet because of its taste or health benefits, and if you choose to include honey in your Carnivore diet, try to gradually minimize your consumption to get the best results.