Are you interested in exploring the animal-based diet but unsure where to begin? Navigating the vast amount of conflicting information about diet and lifestyle can be overwhelming. This article aims to provide a structured overview of the animal-based diet, its macronutrient composition, potential benefits, and considerations.
Introduction to the Animal-Based Diet
The animal-based diet is a dietary approach that prioritizes animal foods such as meat, eggs, and organs, while often including fruits, honey, and raw dairy (if tolerated). It can be viewed as a low-carb or no-carb diet. The core principle revolves around consuming foods that have been treasured throughout human history. Many people who adopt this diet have previously tried ketogenic, carnivore, paleo, or plant-based diets but found them too restrictive or ineffective.
Core Components of an Animal-Based Diet
A well-structured animal-based diet emphasizes high-quality animal products and specific carbohydrate sources.
Animal Proteins
The primary focus should be on grass-fed ruminant animals like cattle, buffalo, goat, lamb, and deer. It is suggested to limit or avoid meat from animals primarily fed corn or soy. If including various animals in your diet is still desired, companies like Nourish Food Club or Nose To Tail intentionally sell low-PUFA options to alleviate this excess consumption. Eating fish no more than twice a week (or less) is ideal, even if it’s wild-caught.
Organ Meats
Incorporating organ meats into your diet is highly encouraged. Aim to consume 1-3 ounces of organ meat daily. Fresh organs are ideal, but if taste, texture, sourcing, or travel pose challenges, consider alternative options.
Read also: Your Guide to an Animal-Based Diet
Low-Toxicity Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates from specific sources are a crucial component of the animal-based diet. Many also consume organic sweet potatoes and white rice without issue.
Dairy
Raw, unpasteurized milk from grass-fed cows is considered a superfood by some. If raw dairy isn't accessible, prioritize high-quality, A2 dairy products.
Fats
Prioritize fats from sources rich in stearic acid which helps shift mitochondria into a "fat-burning" mode.
Foods to Include and Avoid
The animal based diet food list is divided into three categories: low, medium, and high toxicity. The term toxicity is not meant to scare you, but the goal is to highlight that some foods can harm your body if over consumed. There is no exact formula to follow. Everyone has a different health background. Your tolerances and preferences will likely differ from others following an animal-based diet. Our ultimate goal is to help you regain health and lead a happy, fulfilling life.
Prioritize These Foods
- Any cut of meat from ruminant animals like cows, deer, sheep, goats, or wild game.
- Dairy can be a valuable addition to your animal-based diet. A1 or A2 dairy (A1 casein is found in most cows’ milk in the United States. The A2 variant is present in the milk of a small percentage of US cows and other animals like buffalo, goats, and sheep and can be easier to digest (5).
- Almost every fruit (fresh, frozen, or dried) is acceptable on an animal-based diet.
Avoid These Foods
- Wild-caught seafood can have issues like contamination with heavy metals, microplastics, or antibiotics. We suggest avoiding the foods from this section as much as possible. You may thrive with kale or onions in your diet; that’s fine!
- Canola, Corn, Soybean, Rapeseed, Cottonseed, Safflower, Peanut, Rice Bran, Soy, etc.
Macronutrient Considerations
While counting calories isn't always necessary, focusing on macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbs) is essential.
Read also: Are Animal Crackers Healthy?
Protein
Aim for 1-1.2 grams of protein per pound of goal body weight. Protein is found throughout the body-in muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. Protein is made from twenty-plus basic building blocks called amino acids. Because we don’t store amino acids, our bodies make them in two different ways: either from scratch, or by modifying others. The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day, or just over 7 grams for every 20 pounds of body weight. The National Academy of Medicine also sets a wide range for acceptable protein intake-anywhere from 10% to 35% of calories each day. Individual needs will vary based on factors such as age, exercise level, health conditions, and overall dietary pattern.
Fats and Carbohydrates
Adjust your fat and carbohydrate intake based on your activity level. If you're less active, experiment with the lower end of the range; if you're more active, try the higher end. Those looking to correct metabolic dysfunction may benefit from 90-120g of carbohydrates daily (or less).
Lifestyle Factors
Diet is just one piece of the puzzle. It’s equally important to live a lifestyle congruent with our ancestors.
- Quality Sleep: Vital for healing, recovery, and muscle building. Ensure enough bone broth and connective tissue in the diet.
- Physical Activity: Engage in physical activity daily. Aim for two or three 15-minute walks pre/post-meals for healthy blood glucose control.
- Sunlight Exposure: Get outside, play in the sun, and reconnect with nature. Exposure to direct sunlight and UV promotes Vitamin D and nitric oxide synthesis in the skin.
- Stress Management: Engage in some stress management activity.
- Cold Therapy: Cold therapy provides so many benefits to help strengthen the immune system and improve vascular health. The magic for vascular health comes with the expansion of blood vessels, production of growth factors, and delivery of nutrients within the micro capillaries (tiny blood vessels) that feed essential tissue.
Potential Benefits of an Animal-Based Diet
Many individuals report experiencing various benefits when following an animal-based diet:
- Proper and balanced hormones
- Improved sleep quality
- Consistent energy levels
- Enhanced performance and recovery
- Improvement in autoimmune illness
- Weight loss
- Support for a healthy pregnancy
- Improved mental health
What Animal Based Eating Gets Right
- Focusing on real, whole foods.
- Prioritizing protein.
- Being lower in carbohydrates.
- Eliminating processed foods.
Potential Concerns and Considerations
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Strict adherence to a carnivore diet may lead to deficiencies in certain micronutrients like thiamin, Vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- Cardiovascular Health: Some research suggests that the diet may increase cardiovascular oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Sustainability: The environmental impact of relying heavily on animal products is a valid concern.
- Individual Variability: Responses to the animal-based diet can vary significantly.
Nutritional Adequacy Analysis
A study assessed the nutrient adequacy of four versions of the carnivore diet against national nutrient reference values (NRVs).
Read also: A Guide to Animal Dietary Categories
Methods
The study assessed the nutrient adequacy of the carnivore diet against national NRVs from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and New Zealand Ministry of Health. Two female and two male plans were included; one set including dairy products and the other set including offal.
Results
The carnivore diet met several NRV thresholds for nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, selenium, and Vitamin A, and exceeded the sodium threshold. However, it fell short in thiamin, magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin C, and in iron, folate, iodine and potassium in some cases. Fibre intake was significantly below recommended levels.
Conclusion
The carnivore diet may offer benefits for managing certain chronic conditions. Whether the metabolic contexts from consuming such a diet facilitates a lower requirement of certain nutrients, or whether it poses risks of micronutrient inadequacies remains to be determined.
Sample Meal Plans and Macro Breakdowns
Here are some sample meal plans and their approximate macronutrient breakdowns. Note that these are examples, and individual needs may vary.
Day One
- Breakfast: Carnivore casserole with ground beef (520 calories, 43g fat, 1.7g carbs, 30g protein)
- Lunch: Lamb with anchovy aioli (757 calories, 64g fat, 1.4g carbs, 46g protein)
- Dinner: Glazed pork and bacon burgers (576 calories, 46g fat, 5.8g carbs, 34g protein)
- Totals: 1853 calories, 153g fat (74%), 35g carbs (1.9%), 110g protein (23%)
Day Two
- Breakfast: Beef waffles (1/2 recipe) (466 calories, 34g fat, 0.9g carbs, 35g protein)
- Lunch: Braised oxtail soup (349 calories, 23g fat, 2.4g carbs, 32g protein)
- Dinner: Easy braised beef shanks (1/2 recipe) (401 calories, 14g fat, 1.6g carbs, 66g protein)
- Totals: 1216 calories, 71g fat (52%), 19.6g carbs (1.6%), 133g protein (43%)
Day Three
- Breakfast: Carnivore egg-in-a-hole (1/2 recipe) (568 calories, 46g fat, 0.4g carbs, 36g protein)
- Lunch: Organ meat pie (475 calories, 32g fat, 3.2g carbs, 41g protein)
- Dinner: Cheeseburger casserole (1/2 recipe) (638 calories, 48g fat, 2.9g carbs, 45g protein)
- Totals: 1681 calories, 126g fat (67% fat), 6.5g carbs (1.5%), 122g protein (29%)
Using a Carnivore Diet Macro Calculator
If you have specific health or fitness goals, a macro calculator can help you determine specific calorie targets and macronutrient ratios.
Important Considerations and Precautions
- Consult a Healthcare Professional: Before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have existing health conditions, consult with a healthcare provider.
- Monitor Your Health: Pay attention to how your body responds to the diet and make adjustments as needed.
- Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods: Focus on consuming high-quality, nutrient-dense animal products and incorporating organ meats and low-toxicity carbohydrates.
- Consider Supplementation: Depending on your individual needs and dietary choices, you may need to consider supplementing with certain vitamins and minerals.