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In the modern age, we’ve become ‘food spoilt’ with the convenience, availability and options at our disposal. This is in direct contrast to the majority of our evolution with us having to take advantage of available food, even up to our grandparent’s generation.
Nose-to-tail eating is just a trendy name for what would have been simply ‘eating’ during most of our history, and still is for many cultures around the globe to this day.
It is the philosophy of eating the whole animal, not just the prime cuts. Traditionally, cuts such as the tongue, organs meats, skin, tendons, bones, tail (oxtail) were on the menu – literally nose-to-tail.
These ingredients, like beef liver have largely been forgotten in the UK, and the west, yet were a staple in yesteryear, and is what we evolved consuming making them integral to the human story.
This approach, alongside carnivore diet and animal based diets provides nutritional abundance in their bioavailable forms, whilst reducing food waste to support sustainability, before it was even the rage. Who’d of thought your great grandmother would have been such a trend setter!
With modern nutrition continuing to let us down, it is often the timeless wisdom of our ancestors, with principles consistent with our evolution that gives us an edge in successfully navigating the competitive modern world.
The nose-to-tail philosophy also shows respect to the animal who gave up its life to sustain us, which lends itself to modern sentiments, with conservation being central to many people’s choices in the face of ecological challenges.
As a meat eater, this supports conversation indirectly, whilst not having to give up meat. Who doesn’t love a win-win?
So, we now know more about what a nose-to-tail diet is, let’s look at what’s in it for you! We’ll look into some of the most compelling reasons.
We’ve written extensively about the physiological benefits of eating beef organs and collagen in our blogs below, so we’ll focus more on nutrient-density, sustainability and economical benefits.
Not So Offal? Organ’s v ‘Superfoods’ & The Top 10 (Research-backed) Benefits
Beef Liver Benefits: 5 Awesome Reasons Why This King of the Superfoods Belongs in your Diet
Collagen Peptides: The Tiny Proteins Making Massive Waves & 8 Comprehensive Science-backed Benefits
Optimal nutrition is far more nuanced nowadays than simply eating your five a day. Nutritional knowledge has become far more accessible in formats to suit, from youtube to audiobooks and podcasts, making people conscious of advice outside the mainstream.
Diets formally considered a one-way ticket to a heart attack, like high-fat keto, carnivore and animal-based diets are now widely accepted to achieve health goals.
These diets all focus on nutrient-dense superfoods, like meat, fish and organs to enable us to thrive with nose-to-tail ingredients taking this up a notch.
Naturally, consuming more animal-based ingredients will provide a broader nutritional spectrum of proteins, fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and even coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), often lacking in modern diets.
Also eating meat, healthy fat, skin, cartilage and organs together has a synergistic effect to improve bioavailability.
Amino acids need B-vitamins and choline, typically found in organ meats to balance them out, which can keep homocysteine levels in check to avoid associated chronic diseases.
Animal-based foods are dense with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, absorbed by fatty tissue and the liver. Meat and organs naturally contain fats, which support the absorption and bioavailability of fat-soluble vitamins.
Animal-based sources of nutrients like vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B9 (folate), along with heme-iron are all more bioavailable than their plant-based counterparts.
Read more about the bioavailability of meat in:
Organ meats and bone marrow are jam-packed with essential minerals calcium, Iron, zinc, and selenium that contribute to a teak-tough immune system.
Healthy monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, meat and organs can support brain function, soothe inflammation and are integral to cardiovascular health.
Collagen, concentrated in many a nose-to-tail ingredient is renown for its benefits in promoting skin’s hydration, elasticity and smoothness, while minimising fine lines and wrinkles, boosting hair strength and thickness, keeping joints flexible, maintaining strong bones, improving gut health, and provide quality protein for muscle mass and growth.
And this brief summary is just the tip of the iceberg!
Eating nose-to-tail equates to consuming high-quality, nutrient-dense whole foods, which elegantly sidesteps unnatural ingredients lurking in many packaged and prepared foods.
Nose-to-tail ingredients are not ultra processed and contain omega-3 to omega-6 fats in healthy ratios. They are not laden in sugar, refined carbs, artificial flavourings or seed oils.
These ingredients are linked to metabolic dysfunction, obesity and chronic diseases. The BMJ reported that in the UK, people suffering from major diseases will increase by 2.5m by 2040, from a 2019 baseline. This equates to 20% of adults being afflicted.
No bueno!
A review published in Open Heart, BMJ highlights how the consumption of seed oils high in omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress, which are linked to chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease.
NIH research concluded diets high in ultra-processed foods are associated with increased caloric intake, weight gain and poorer nutritional quality, contributing to metabolic syndrome and chronic disease risk. High-fat and carbohydrates, but low-protein foods do not satiate, promoting binge eating.
Limiting or eliminating such ingredients, omnipresent in modern diet (along with inflating waist lines and chronic illness), can prevent inflammation, energy crashes, regulate cravings, and lower insulin resistance risk.
Findings by Weston A. Price found indigenous cultures from many different locations eating their traditional diet rarely suffered from chronic illness.
By focusing on animal-based foods, nose-to-tail eaters benefit from nutrients the body actually recognises and can utilise to support better metabolic health and energy stability and side steps empty calories and harmful ingredients.
If you were told you could eat a healthier, more nutrient rich diet, whilst saving money, you’d probably grab my arm off!
With Brit’s wallets feeling the pinch with steep inflation and years of wage stagnation (late 2024) eating nose-to-tail can save money, whilst taking advantage of some of the planet’s most nutrient-dense superfoods.
Offal illustrates this best with it being very affordable and loaded with untold micronutrients! You’d be hard pressed to find a group of superfoods that can stacks up against them.
While ribeye steaks, lamb cutlets and chicken breasts command higher prices, winning hands down on taste, liver, kidneys, and heart win on price and nutrition big time!
Skin-on-chicken thighs; whole fish, like sardines and mackerel; bone marrow; and connective tissues are all nutrient-dense and won’t break the bank either!
Tougher, more collagen rich cuts that would typically go to waste can be used to make broths, soups, and stews to extract nutrients and stretch ingredients.
A nose-to-tail diet is packed with nutritional abundance whilst going easy on your wallet. Win-win for the health-conscious, budget-savvy consumers!
Food waste is a big problem. According to Businesswaste, the UK is the biggest offender for food waste in Europe and reports:
Nose-to-tail eating ensures more than just prime cuts are eaten and benefits from nutrient-dense, affordable, but less popular cuts minimising food waste to help contribute to a more sustainable food system.
Beef liver – the nutrition game changed. A bold claim, but we’re coming with receipts!
It is often dubbed ‘nature’s multivitamin’ and for good reason as it is bursting with bioavailable nutrients, making it arguably the planet’s most nutrient-dense superfood.
Beef liver contains a plethora of essential nutrients with 100g bursting with:
Nutritional content and associated benefits courtesy of Nutrivore and the European Food Safety Authority respectively.
With this much goodness in even small servings, you can see why including this nutrient-packed powerhouse, can leave you ready to rock!
To summarise the benefits of the nutrients contained in abundance in beef liver, they support and/or contribute to the healthy function of:
Beef liver is also high in protein and relatively low in calories, with 100g providing around 20 grams of protein, 4g of fat and containing ~135 calories.
We’ve written extensively in our blog about beef liver’s benefits for more information.
Beef heart is not only an organ but is also a type of muscle known as myocardium. This gives it a more familiar taste to other muscle meats like steak, and a far cry from the taste of liver or kidney!
This makes it far more palatable and a good place to start for would-be nose-to-tail eaters. Due to its toughness, it is typically better included in slow-cooked dishes, like stews.
Beef heart shares many of the essential nutrients provided by beef liver, albeit, typically in lower concentrations but it contains more CoQ10 and collagen.
CoQ10 is a fat-soluble compound necessary for cellular energy production and heart health. CoQ10 helps generate energy within the cell’s mitochondria and has strong antioxidant properties that help protect cells from oxidative stress.
CoQ10 is linked with improved cognitive function, helping athletic performance, maintaining skin’s youthfulness, reducing inflammation and even fertility benefits.
Beef heart is nutrient-dense, providing many essential micronutrients beneficial to:
Nutritional content and associated benefits courtesy of Nutrivore and the European Food Safety Authority respectively.
To summarise the benefits of the nutrients contained in concentrations in beef heart, they support and/or contribute to the healthy function of:
100g of beef heart offers approximately 18 grams and contains around 4g of fat and 112 calories.
We’ve written extensively in our blog about beef organ’s benefits for more information.
Along with beef liver, beef kidney is another one of the organ meats that are hard to stomach! However, like beef liver, it is highly nutritious and can supercharge your health.
it is a rich source of selenium, a powerful mineral that helps protect against free radicals that can damage cells, as the NIH notes. It is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system and supporting thyroid function, helping to regulate metabolism.
Beef kidney contains excellent amounts of bioavailable nutrients, including:
Nutritional content and associated benefits courtesy of Nutrivore and the European Food Safety Authority respectively.
To summarise the benefits of the nutrients contained in concentrations in beef kidney, they support and/or contribute to the healthy function of:
100g of beef kidney provides an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing approximately 17g, with only 3g of fat and 99 calories.
We’ve written extensively in our blog about beef organ’s benefits for more information.
Bone marrow is the spongy tissue within bones which churns out red blood cells to transport oxygen; white blood cells to fight-off pathogens and fortify immunity; and platelets to clot bleeding.
Bone marrow typically comes from the spine, hip and femur bones of ruminants, like cows and sheep.
It has colloquially dubbed the “butter of the Gods” for its rich creamy & smooth composition, high fat content and its tasty, savoury, almost sweet and meaty flavour.
Not only is it tasty, it is also dense in important nutrients:
Some of bone marrow benefits include:
Collagen is much lauded for its longevity benefits and has become a superstar to many a health and beauty regime, and for good reason. Bone marrow, bone broths and skin-on chicken and fish all contain good amounts of collagen.
Collagen offers immense benefits as the body’s most abundant structural protein. It has become synonymous with beauty, promoting healthy, exuberant and nourished skin, hair, nails and is high in protein to increase muscle mass.
It benefits skin’s health by improving elasticity, hydration and firmness to leave it glowing, while reducing the appearance of roughness, fine lines and wrinkles. This is backed up by many studies, including NIH research.
Its benefits are more than just skin-deep. It nourishes from within too, supporting bone and joint health, gut health and can even regulate appetite to promote weight loss.
Collagen provides the amino acids that build-up and repair connective tissue. It enables calcium and phosphorus to bind to the bone matrix to strengthen bones.
With age, natural collagen production declines as early as our mid-twenties, leading to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, muscle loss and joint stiffness and even osteoporosis over time.
Collagen-rich foods and high-quality collagen peptide supplements can help to restore your collagen levels to promote skin’s radiance, hair’s lustrousness and keep nails strong, while reducing muscle loss, joint deterioration and bone weakness.
Collagen improves gut health as it is rich in the amino acids glycine, glutamine, and proline. Glycine and proline helps to rebuild gut lining to support digestive health. Glutamine is essential for maintaining the gut barrier’s integrity, maximising nutrient absorption and preventing gut permeability.
We’ve written extensively in our other blog about collagen’s impressive benefits.
Colostrum is the first milk produced by mammals after giving birth. It is often referred to as “liquid gold” on account of its goldish colour and nutrient-density, with it being high in vitamins, minerals, protein, low in fat and bursting with antibodies and antioxidants.
Colostrum is high in immunoglobulins (antibodies), particularly IgA and IgG, which bolster immune function to protect against infections. Colostrum is rich in lactoferrin, a protein that binds to iron and exhibits antimicrobial properties, where it prevents entry of harmful bacteria to maintain a healthy microbiome.
It is a rich source of leukocytes (immunity supporting white blood cells), epidermal growth factor (stimulates cell growth), vitamin A, copper, magnesium and zinc which support healthy vision, skin, bones, immunity and even heart health to keep you feeling tip-top!
It contains various bioactive compounds that stimulate intestinal cell growth to fortify gut lining and prevent permeability which optimises digestion and nutrient absorption.
Colostrum’s growth factors, insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2) promote tissue repair and muscle recovery, making it promising for aspiring athletes.
Colostrum can be found in raw milk, although it is more commonly found in food supplements in the forms of powders or capsules.
Tallow has been used for centuries before being relegated in the 1950’s and 60’s with the rise of cheap vegetable oils, and further forgotten in the hysteria surrounding fat’s potential harms and the low-fat craze from the 1980’s into the 2000’s.
These fears were overstated and can be linked back to ‘big sugar’ corrupting scientists in the 1960’s to shift the blame for poor health away from sugar onto fat, as reported by the New York Times.
Tallow is rendered animal fat, made by gently simmering suet (the fat surrounding the organs, especially the kidney) and removing any impurities to leave the glowing white/creamy tallow we know and love. It is usually derived from beef or lamb.
It has a meaty, flavoursome taste and is excellent as an economical cooking oil with a high smoke point. This makes it very stable even when cooking at high temperatures and does not easily oxidise, leading to harmful free radicals forming that can cause oxidative stress that can damage DNA and cells.
Tallow is abundant with fat with Bare & Bones highlighting the following approx. fat content:
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are widely considered as healthy, containing oleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. Tallow also contains CLA and stearic acid.
Although demonised for what feels like forever, the tide of consensus is starting to shift on saturated fats. A NIH study questioned the history of the saturated fat bad narrative, pinpointing conflicts of interest, including having plant-based advocates in the review and concerns with the scientific process.
Another NIH study concluded through meta-analyses of randomised trials and observational studies that there was no benefit to reducing saturated fat consumption to protect against heart health or mortality, and in fact found it was protective against strokes.
Tallow is high in concentration of vitamins A, D, E and K, which we know are fat-soluble making tallow perfect for optimal absorption.
Bursting with all these healthy fats and nutrients results in some powerful benefits, including boosting immune function, reducing inflammation, increasing nutrient bioavailability and even, ironically, supporting weight loss with fat being very satiating. Eat fat, get thin! Sounds too good to be true, but CLA and stearic acid can help burn body fat.
Interestingly, its natural and nourishing properties are also being recognised for skin care products which can prove an excellent alternative to the typical chemical and artificial ingredient laden cosmetic products.
Bone broths have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years with them becoming a trendy fixture in carnivore, paleo, keto and animal-based diets. They can be made from fish, chicken, turkey, beef or lamb bones, amongst others, ensuring you’ve got your pick of flavours!
It is a protein rich, clear soup made by simmering bones and meaty joints to extract collagen, gelatin and amino acids. It is even available in supplement or pre-prepared form. These nutrients and amino acids like glycine and proline, would otherwise go to waste.
It is a rich source of highly-bioavailable vitamins, minerals, fats, glucosamine and chondroitin. These include vitamin A, B2, B12 and E; calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc; and omega-3’s and 6’s.
Bone broth even contains many of the minerals contained within electrolytes, which have become all the rage in carnivore diets. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium, integral in many fancy electrolyte supplements and are also found in bone marrow.
As reported by Dr. Axe, these nutrients are renowned to support glowing skin, supple joints, healthy digestion, strong bones and teeth, immune function, repair tissue, reduce inflammation and even act as a detoxifier by helping the liver expel toxins.
Due to its glycine content, it is also thought to improve sleep quality as noted in BBC Good Food, who also include easy recipes.
In our fast-paced, hectic lifestyles processed foods can become the default. This is sometimes necessary, but is a bad trade-off over the long-term.
Embracing a nose-to-tail philosophy takes some time investment but offers a compelling alternative with health and sustainability benefits along with saving your wallet a beating!
It is rooted in ancestral practices, emphasising the importance of utilising the whole animal including organ meats like beef liver and connective tissue alongside more prised cuts.
By embracing this holistic view of food consumption, we not only honour the animals that nourished us but tap into a treasure trove of nutrients that modern diets frequently omit.
The nutritional benefits of a nose-to-tail diet as part of a carnivore diet, animal based diet or just to level up a more conventional diet are incredibly diverse and provide essential macro and micronutrients that support overall health and vitality.
Nose-to-tail ingredients can help combat deficiencies prevalent in modern diets by delivering bioavailable nutrients that support essential bodily functions necessary to live a vibrant, fulfilled lifestyle.
It aligns with modern sustainability values and waste reduction objectives, with food waste amounting 9.5 million tonnes in the UK in 2018 according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
Adopting a nose-to-tail diet is not merely a trend, it is a return to our roots by acknowledging timeless wisdom that enabled our ancestors to thrive for Millenia.
Lords Library. (2023). Food waste in the UK. Retrieved November 27, 2024, from https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/food-waste-in-the-uk/
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