The interest in animal-based diets has grown significantly, with many individuals and even celebrities endorsing this dietary approach. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of animal-based diets, including the carnivore diet, offering meal plan examples, exploring potential benefits and risks, and providing guidance on how to start.
Introduction to Animal-Based Diets
An animal-based diet primarily consists of foods derived from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs. People adopt this diet for various reasons, often citing perceived nutritional benefits and the satiating effect of high protein and fat content, which may aid in weight management.
Understanding the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is a very restrictive eating plan that involves consuming only animal products. It is a zero-carb diet that cuts out all carbohydrates and other food groups, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Historical Context
Eating a carb-free diet isn’t a new idea. Scottish military surgeon John Rollo, MD, first used a meat-only diet to treat patients with diabetes in the late 1700s. Cutting carbs helped lower his patients’ blood sugar levels. Former orthopedic surgeon Shawn Baker, MD, popularized this way of eating with the release of his 2019 book The Carnivore Diet.
Key Principles
- Elimination of Plant-Based Foods: The carnivore diet strictly limits or excludes plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
- Emphasis on Animal Products: The diet focuses on meats, fish, eggs, and certain dairy products, providing a high-protein and low-carb intake.
Foods Allowed on the Carnivore Diet
The list of approved foods is short because it only includes animal products. You can eat red meat like steak, burgers, and chuck roast. Chicken, lamb, and pork are also ok. Fish like salmon and trout, and seafood such as oysters and clams are on the list. And if you like organ meats such as liver and oxtail, feel free to eat them too. Eggs are OK in small amounts.
Read also: Your Guide to an Animal-Based Diet
Meats
- Beef (brisket, chuck roast, ground beef, steaks like New York strip, ribeye, skirt, porterhouse, and T-bone)
- Chicken (breast, thighs, drumsticks, and wings, rotisserie chicken)
- Pork (butt, chops, bacon, ribs, shoulder)
- Lamb (chops, shanks, ground lamb)
- Organ meats (liver, kidneys, tongue, oxtail, heart, feet, cheeks)
- Game Meats: Venison, bison, elk, wild boar
Seafood
- Fish (salmon, trout, and mackerel)
- Clams
- Crabs
- Mussels
- Oysters
- Scallops
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Other Seafood: Squid, octopus, roe (fish eggs)
Dairy (in limited amounts)
- Cheese
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Yogurt
Other Animal Products
- Eggs
- Butter and Ghee
Foods to Avoid on the Carnivore Diet
Any foods that aren’t animal-based are off the table. You can’t eat fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, or seeds.
- Plant-Based Foods: Strictly limit or exclude plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
- Vegetable & Seed Oils: Canola, Corn, Soybean, Rapeseed, Cottonseed, Safflower, Peanut, Rice Bran, Soy, etc
- Processed Meats: Minimize intake of processed meats, opting for fresh, unprocessed cuts when possible.
- Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (use natural sweeteners instead)
- Highly processed foods: everything labeled “diet” or “low fat” or that has many additives, including artificial meal replacements
Carnivore Diet Meal Plan Examples
Creating a carnivore diet meal plan requires careful planning to maintain variety and nutritional balance.
Sample 14-Day Meal Plan
This 14-day meal plan focuses on meat-centric and nutrient-dense recipes, catering to those following a carnivorous eating approach.
Foods to Eat:
- Animal Proteins: Focus on beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish as the primary sources of protein in each meal.
- Organ Meats: Include liver, kidney, and heart for additional nutrients like vitamins A, D, and B12.
- Fatty Cuts of Meat: Choose cuts with higher fat content to meet energy needs and provide essential fatty acids.
- Eggs: Incorporate eggs as a versatile and nutrient-dense source of protein and healthy fats.
- Butter and Animal Fats: Use butter, lard, and tallow for cooking to increase fat intake on the carnivore diet.
- Bone Broth: Include bone broth for additional minerals and nutrients, particularly collagen and gelatin.
- Salt: Use salt to taste, as it's the primary source of sodium on the carnivore diet.
Foods to Avoid:
- Plant-Based Foods: Strictly limit or exclude plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
- Dairy: Some individuals following the carnivore diet exclude dairy, while others may include high-fat dairy in moderation.
- Processed Meats: Minimize intake of processed meats, opting for fresh, unprocessed cuts when possible.
Sample Daily Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Yogurt and Hard-Boiled Eggs - Full-fat, unsweetened yogurt paired with hard-boiled eggs.
- Lunch: Bone Broth and Turkey Burger - Hearty homemade bone broth with a juicy turkey burger.
- Dinner: Bison Steak with Sautéed Shrimp - Tender bison steak combined with buttery sautéed shrimp.
Additional Meal Ideas
- Scrambled eggs with turkey
- Salmon patties
- Carnivore chicken casserole
- Keto taco pie
- Carnivore pizza
Carnivore Diet Snacks
If you get hungry and want a snack, here are some ideas:
- Cheese sticks
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Salmon jerky
- Sardines
- Skinless chicken wings
- Beef jerky
- pork rinds
- Pork cracklings
- A handful of dried fish
- A few slices of smoked salmon
Potential Benefits of the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet claims to promote weight loss. Its other supposed benefits are for improving heart health, autoimmune issues, blood sugar control, and mood.
Read also: Are Animal Crackers Healthy?
- Weight Loss: The high protein and fat content can promote satiety and reduce overall calorie intake, leading to weight loss.
- Improved Blood Sugar Control: By eliminating carbohydrates, the diet may help lower blood sugar levels, particularly in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
- Reduced Inflammation: Cutting out processed foods and potential allergens may reduce inflammation in some individuals.
Risks and Considerations
The carnivore diet doesn’t align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends that adults get 45% to 65% of their daily calories from carbohydrates.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Eliminating entire food groups can lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, such as fiber, potassium, vitamins A and C, and folate.
- Digestive Issues: The lack of fiber can cause constipation or diarrhea due to changes in gut bacteria balance.
- Increased Cholesterol Levels: Animal-based diets are high in saturated fat, which can raise LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Sustainability: The restrictive nature of the diet makes it difficult to sustain long-term.
Who Should Avoid the Carnivore Diet?
This diet isn’t safe during pregnancy or while breastfeeding because it will leave you short on the nutrients that both you and your growing baby need. If you have kidney disease, the high protein content may be too much for your kidneys to process. Also avoid this diet if you have diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure because of the high saturated fat and sodium content. Fad diets are never a good idea for people who have had eating disorders. Such a restrictive diet could trigger unhealthy eating patterns.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- History of eating disorders
Comparing Animal-Based Diets: Low-Carb, Keto, Ketovore, and Carnivore
The main difference between a Low-Carb, Keto, Ketovore, and Carnivore Diet is the level of carbohydrates we consume and the macronutrient balance.
Low-Carb Diet
The Low-Carb Diet, which is the first level of the Primal Diet, is for beginners who aim to decrease their carbohydrate consumption and benefit from its health effects, like blood sugar control, more energy, better digestion, etc.
Keto Diet
The second level of the Primal Diet is known as the Keto Diet. This diet eliminates starchy vegetables and focuses on meat and animal-based foods.
Read also: A Guide to Animal Dietary Categories
Ketovore Diet
The Ketovore Diet is the line between Keto and Carnivore. It helps you transition to an animal-based lifestyle and eliminate unnecessary food sources, especially plant-based products.
Carnivore Diet
To maximize the health effects of the low-carb lifestyle, you can gradually transition to the Carnivore Diet, which allows you to consume only animal-based products and eliminate anti-nutrients from plant foods.
Getting Started with the Carnivore Diet
- Consult a Healthcare Professional: Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting any new diet, especially one that cuts out entire food groups.
- Prepare Your Pantry: Rid your pantry and refrigerator of any foods that contain carbs to avoid temptation.
- Create a Shopping List: Focus on animal-based foods like meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy (if included).
- Start Gradually: Transition into the diet slowly to allow your body to adjust.
- Monitor Your Health: Pay attention to how your body responds and make adjustments as needed.
Paleo Diet as an Alternative
The paleo diet includes whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. It may benefit your overall health and reduce your risk for some health conditions, including obesity.
Key Principles
- The paleo diet plan includes unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, nutritious fats and oils
- Foods to avoid typically include processed foods, added sugar, soft drinks, artificial sweeteners
- Foods to limit include grains, most dairy products, legumes