In Niger, livestock farming is a promising sector for the economy of rural households. The livestock value chain has a positive impact on household nutrition. This study aims to characterize the consumption of animal-based foods by agro-pastoral households. Data are collected through a questionnaire survey of 200 randomly sampled heads of households. Data are analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 software. The results show that animal-based foods are consumed by the majority (64.54%) of households surveyed, with dominance in the Maradi region (51.73%) compared to Tillabéri (12.91%) region. These diversified foods are regularly consumed by households. The most consumed foods are meat (83%), fish (81%), and goat’s milk (38%). Households turn to animal-based foods for nutrition’s reasons, eating habits and taste. Children aged 6 to 24 months consume more eggs (43%), fish (42%), red meat (27%), and cow’s milk (19%). Lack of financial means, low production and ignorance of the virtues of animal products are the main constraints on household consumption of animal-based foods. These results suggest that promoting the consumption of animal-based foods could improve household nutrition and well-being, especially in rural areas.