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If you were to ask someone what their death row meal would be, for many (myself included!), a juicy, tender and perfectly fried medium-rare ribeye steak would be their knee-jerk response, and for good reason!
Meat is nutrient-dense and bioavailable, bursting with a raft of vitamins, vitamins, healthy fats and is a complete protein, as it contains all essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own.
In the sphere of health and wellness, animal-based diets, like the ketogenic (keto) and carnivore diets, have increased in popularity in recent years.
There are an impressive number of advocates who swear a carnivore diet meal plan helped improve a range of ailments, such as diabetes, leaky gut, autoimmune issues and mental health issues, amongst others.
Animal-based diet plans have also been reported to benefit increased energy, mental clarity, weight loss, muscle gain, and have even been credited with boosting testosterone.
Although animal-based diets have come to prominence in recent times, they aren’t a modern phenomenon. Traditional cultures, like the Inuit, Maasai and Nomadic peoples of the Central Asian Steppe have thrived eating nose-to-tail (eating the whole animal, organs, skin, collagen, bones and all) for millennia.
Influential advocates of the diet include figures such as Shawn Baker, Paul Saladino (Carnivore MD), Ken Berry, Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson who are entirely carnivore, animal-based or periodically cycle onto the diet.
The carnivore diet can act as an elimination diet to identify and reduce food sensitivities, potentially improving conditions like autoimmune disorders, digestive issues, chronic inflammation, and skin problems by focusing on nutrient-dense, low-inflammatory animal-based foods.
Its restrictive nature can cut out foods with suboptimal ingredients: seed oils, plant defence chemicals, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, sugars and many processed foods find themselves on (or off!) the chopping block.
Similar to the Paleo diet, this dietary approach is based on the idea that our ancestors thrived on, and prioritised a nutrient-dense meat-centric diet, which provided the biggest return for our ancestor’s caloric expenditure.
In this blog, we’ll look into the principles of the carnivore diet, touch on how it may be beneficial, and provide meal plans to provide some inspiration.
Firstly, let’s look at what the carnivore diet is, and more importantly, what to eat on a carnivore diet? It’s a bit more nuanced than just meat, we promise!
The carnivore diet, as the name implies, is a diet which consists primarily of meat, organs, eggs, fish, seafood, and animal-derived foods.
There are different levels to the carnivore diet but they all typically converge around some key principles, like being protein and fat rich and low to no in carbohydrates.
It is similar to the Paleo and Keto diets, but is more restrictive in that the vast majority of what you eat must come from an animal so fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, pulses, and legumes are typically off the menu.
The diet is proving popular because, just like Paleo, it cuts out many foods thought to be contributing to chronic illnesses, autoimmune issues and digestive problems, not to mention expanding waistlines!
The theory is that humans have been hunting and eating animals since the dawn of mankind, whereas we’ve only been farming for approximately 12,000 years according to National Geographic, which facilitated the shift to a more grain-centric diet.
From an evolutionary standpoint, this is a blink of an eye and the idea is our body’s and digestive systems in particular, are playing evolutionary catch up to this dietary shift.
So now we’ve reviewed some of the context around the diet, let’s briefly look at some of the benefits.
The main purpose of this blog is to detail carnivore meal plans so this is a bit of a whistle stop tour, but we’ve written more extensively about the carnivore diet benefits too.
One of the main reported benefits of the carnivore diet is weight loss.
Protein, when digested, leads to thermogenesis. This metabolic process creates heat during digestion, which translates to burning ~20-30% of total calories.
Healthline reported on a study which found overweight women increasing their protein intake from 15% to 30% ate 441 fewer calories unintentionally.
The protein contained within meat promotes satiety through the release of peptide YY and glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP1) that act as signals to tell your brain to put down the fork.
Eating more protein also reduces the release of ghrelins. Ghrelin, dubbed the hunger hormone, signals to your brain it’s time to eat. Animal-based diets like carnivore and keto are high in protein which is digested slower, staving off the release of ghrelin leading to appetite suppression.
Due to the higher satiety levels of consuming a high-protein diet, many carnivores often report eating less meals and snacks per day further aiding weight loss.
Not eating carbohydrates also causes the body to burn fat as the primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates-derived glucose in a process known as ketosis.
Ordinarily the body converts carbohydrates into energy to carry out bodily functions. However, when they’re restricted or eliminated, the body will enter ketosis and burn fat to produce ketones, which then fuel bodily functions.
The carnivore diet being high-protein helps to boost your metabolism, which in turn will increase your energy levels. A faster metabolism produces more energy.
Protein is thermogenic, so your body requires more energy to metabolise it, which it does by speeding up your metabolism.
Not only that, but protein also promotes lean muscle tissue growth, which also speeds up the metabolism as muscle requires more energy to maintain than fat.
Red meat is also rich in heme-iron and B-vitamins, which increase red blood cells and improve metabolic function, by powering the Kreb cycle, responsible for energy production.
Certain nutrients like vitamin B12 are fundamental for energy production, and are difficult to obtain outside of animal-based sources with vegetarians and vegans often needing to supplement.
The carnivore diet also does not contain carbohydrates that can spike blood sugar levels which prevents ‘sugar crashes’. This is why carnivores often report stable energy levels throughout the day.
The carnivore diet can lead to greater levels of mental clarity, reduced feelings of brain fog, improved memory recall and general sharpness.
The reasons for this are believed to be factors including reduction of inflammation in the brain which can affect neurotransmitter function; consuming nutrient dense foods high in B-vitamins like B12; and stabling blood sugar levels.
Being in ketosis also means ketones can be used to fuel brain function as its primary energy source. Ketones fuel the brain more efficiently than glucose by generating more ATP per molecule.
Foods derived from plant sources often contain plant defence chemicals, such as oxalates, which have been linked to inflammation in the brain.
This can make concentration more difficult and cause brain fog. Refined grains and processed cereals are some of the prime culprits. Naturally, a diet devoid of these ingredients avoids these issues.
Another reported benefit of the carnivore diet is the reduction of chronic inflammation.
Inflammation is a natural response to injury or infection, but when it becomes chronic, this can cause health issues including headaches, joint and muscular pain, autoimmune disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, metabolic syndrome, and much more besides.
Meat and fish is rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and zinc. Low-carb diets have also been found to reduce inflammation. With the carnivore diet being carb-free, this gives an indication of how it can help.
It does not contain common offenders such as processed foods (processed meat should be avoided), refined carbohydrates, seed oils and sugary and sweetened drinks.
The diet also does not contain plant defence chemicals found in vegetables which can irritate the gut and contribute to gut inflammation in certain individuals.
As basic as the carnivore diet sounds (eat meat!), there are levels to it. Some will strictly adhere to its purest form, whilst others will find a carnivore-ish approach works best.
Some people will follow an all meat diet to overcome certain health issues, whilst others might just want a boost in the gym.
People may even start on a more restrictive elimination diet to get to the bottom of how diet could have been negatively influencing certain conditions (Mikhaila Peterson’s story).
They may then reintroduce foods, ultimately ending up at a less restrictive animal-based diet.
Others will struggle with a more restrictive variation as they will find eating the same foods quickly becomes monotonous. Others will cycle on-and-off the diet. It is all about making it sustainable for you.
Broadly speaking the most common carnivore diet variations, from most strict to most lenient are:
Popularised by mikhaila Peterson, this form of the carnivore diet is the most straight-forward, but restrictive, consisting of red meat from ruminants (mainly beef and lamb), water and salt. This form of the diet is usually driven by food sensitivity to avoid inflammation and allergens.
The most common variation of the diet consists of meat, primarily beef but others are fine; fish; organs; eggs; and salt. Many will also consume low-lactose dairy.
Paul Saladino is widely credited as the creator of the animal-based diet, having added some additional low-toxicity (low plant defence chemicals) items, like honey, fruit and fermented foods to the standard carnivore diet.
On the carnivore diet, it is generally recommended to choose fattier cuts of meat and to cook using animal fats, like butter, tallow and ghee. With fat becoming your primary fuel source when in ketosis, this is important in the absence of carbohydrates.
Generally speaking, including more types of meat in your diet will ensure you get a wider range of nutrients. For this reason, including organs, eggs, fish, seafoods and low-lactose dairy is often recommended.
You won’t necessarily find some of the suggested cuts of meat at your local supermarket, so it’s recommended you make friends with your local Butcher!
Day 1
– Breakfast: home-made minced beef patties, mixed with beef kidney seasoned with salt.
– Lunch: ribeye steak, lightly salted.
– Dinner: lamb shanks with bone broth.
Day 2
– Breakfast: venison burgers, seasoned with salt.
– Lunch: beef short ribs.
– Dinner: beef brisket.
Day 3
– Breakfast: ground lamb patties, seasoned with salt.
– Lunch: beef bone marrow with beef liver.
– Dinner: sirloin steak, lightly salted.
Day 4
– Breakfast: lamb shoulder chops, lightly salted.
– Lunch: ribeye steak, lightly salted.
– Dinner: beef chuck roast.
Day 5
– Breakfast: beef liver slices, pan-fried in beef tallow.
– Lunch: lamb ribs seasoned in salt.
– Dinner: beef tenderloin seasoned in salt.
Day 6
– Breakfast: slow-cooked beef heart with salt.
– Lunch: beef oxtail stew, cooked slowly in water.
– Dinner: lamb leg, lightly salted.
Day 7
– Breakfast: ground beef and lamb mixed patties, seasoned with salt.
– Lunch: Slow-cooked goat meat with lambs liver
– Dinner: prime rib, lightly salted.
Day 1
– Breakfast: scrambled eggs cooked in butter with crispy bacon.
– Lunch: beef liver fried in grass-fed butter with a side of sliced cheddar cheese.
– Dinner: ribeye steak with a side of bone broth.
Day 2
– Breakfast: poached eggs and smoked salmon.
– Lunch: skin-on chicken thighs roasted in butter.
– Dinner: ribeye steak and fried eggs with cheddar cheese.
Day 3
– Breakfast: cheese and ham omelette.
– Lunch: venison burgers with melted cheese.
– Dinner: baked cod with cream cheese.
Day 4
– Breakfast: feta omelette.
– Lunch: tallow-fried beef heart and cottage cheese.
– Dinner: lamb chops with a side of mozzarella cheese.
Day 5
– Breakfast: pan-fried crispy bacon with chicken liver pâté.
– Lunch: shrimp cooked in butter with hard boiled eggs.
– Dinner: roast beef brisket with grass-fed butter.
Day 6
– Breakfast: scrambled eggs with double cream and pancetta.
– Lunch: grilled salmon fillet with feta cheese.
– Dinner: beef burger mince patties mixed with kidney (no bun) topped with melted cheddar.
Day 7
– Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs with canned tuna.
– Lunch: grilled chicken wings tossed in butter.
– Dinner: prime rib roast with a side of whipped cream cheese.
Day 1
– Breakfast: Greek yogurt (full-fat, unsweetened) topped with honey and sliced papaya.
– Lunch: biltong and blueberries.
– Dinner: ribeye steak fried in tallow with beef liver and avocado.
Day 2
– Breakfast: scrambled eggs with crispy bacon and a side of cantaloupe.
– Lunch: shredded chicken, cream cheese, and bacon.
– Dinner: baked salmon with a drizzle of lemon with mango as dessert.
Day 3
– Breakfast: poached eggs, fried salmon and avocado.
– Lunch: diced butter-fried beef heart with a side of blueberries.
– Dinner: grilled sirloin steak with a side of bone broth.
Day 4
– Breakfast: omelette made with double cream and cheese.
– Lunch: roasted chicken breast with a side of honeydew melon.
– Dinner: grilled minted lamb chops.
Day 5
– Breakfast: Greek yogurt (full-fat, unsweetened) with honey and fresh raspberries.
– Lunch: fried shrimp with an avocado.
– Dinner: tallow-fried ribeye steak with sliced beef liver.
Day 6
– Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon.
– Lunch: canned tuna with hard boiled eggs.
– Dinner: roasted beef brisket with watermelon for dessert.
Day 7
– Breakfast: ghee-fried bacon with cottage cheese and a banana.
– Lunch: grilled beef kidney with butter and an avocado.
– Dinner: roast lamb shanks.
Offal is recommended as it offers a wider range of nutrients than just meat alone, and generally in much higher quantities. Organs like beef liver, heart and kidneys are all nutritional powerhouses and contain nutrients harder to obtain on an all meat diet.
Nutrients like folate, vitamin C, vitamin D, Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) and potassium are available in organ meats, and generally higher quantities than found in muscle meat, like steak.
Organs are also packed full of bioavailable vitamin A (retinol), B-vitamins, like B12 and minerals such as copper, iron and zinc, all essential for bodily functions, including energy production, skin health, fortifying the immune system and cell metabolism.
On stricter carnivore diet variation, other nutrients that can be difficult to obtain include vitamin D (found in fish and eggs), vitamin E (found in liver and eggs), calcium (found in dairy, bone broths and fish), and magnesium (found in fish and seafood).
Few foods can compete with organs, like the humble beef liver and this includes highly touted ‘superfoods’. We’ve written in detail of organ meat benefits, and the benefits of beef liver in one’s nose-to-tail diet if you’d like to read more.
If you struggle with the strong taste, smell and texture and want some inspiration for easy beef liver recipes you can check out our blog.
The carnivore diet meal plan offers a compelling alternative to the standard western diet of highly-processed foods packed with additives, artificial ingredients, sugars and seed oils.
For many, the carnivore diet is a simple solution to cutting out a lot of junk and cleaning up their diet. However, the intervention is about as subtle as a sledge hammer!
The carnivore diet plan has shown a lot of promise for many with certain ailments and for those interested in self-optimisation.
It is important to remember it may not be for everyone as our body’s are all different and what one person will thrive on will not necessarily work for another. It also must be noted that long-term studies are needed.
The less strict animal-based diet plan, as we’ve seen, is more flexible and may be more sustainable, whilst others will cycle between the variations.
If the idea of preparing, cooking and eating organ meats makes you feel squeamish these can be easily incorporated in capsule form.
Where possible, grass-fed meat should be sourced as it is generally more nutritious, being higher is richer in omega-3, with higher 3 to 6 ratios and is higher in vitamin A and E.
We hope you enjoyed the read, and would love to hear your experience on a carnivore diet. If you’d like to share any tips or advice, our readers would sure appreciate it!
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