Beta-alanine (as part of carnosine) can only be obtained by consuming animal products. The primary sources of dietary carnosine include beef (1.7–2.3 mg per gram), pork (around 2.4 mg per gram), poultry (0.7–2.2 mg per gram), chicken broth (around 1.1 mg per milliliter), and fish.[1][2][3]
Though food can be a good source of beta-alanine, obtaining the recommended dosage of 3.2–6.4 grams/day through diet alone could be difficult. For instance, given that beta-alanine constitutes roughly 40% of carnosine's molecular weight, you would need to consume around 7.8–10.5 lb (3.5–4.8 kg) of beef, 7.3 lb (3.3 kg) of pork, or 8.0–25.3 lb (3.6–11.5 kg) of poultry to obtain 3.2 grams of beta-alanine.