Carnivore Diet Food List

What is The Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet is a diet that encourages the eating of animal-based products and limiting or completely eliminating vegetables, fruits, grains, sugars, and other non-animal foods, essentially cutting out carbohydrates.

Amazon best-selling author, Dr. Shawn Baker MD, promoted the carnivore diet on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2017 and it has gained in popularity since.

The carnivore diet, a ketogenic style diet, claims and boasts several health benefits, including reduced inflammation, glucose (blood sugar) control, reversing insulin resistance, improving mood, and supporting heart health, the immune system and weight loss and control.

 

What Can You Eat on The Carnivore Diet?

Many people who have talked to their doctor, nutritionist or dieticians and have done sufficient research on the diet and if it's right for them are curious about what foods they can and cannot eat.

While the carnivore diet does require some discipline, there are many amazing and wonderful food items you can eat and satisfy your hunger.

Here we have provided a list of all the foods that are encouraged on the carnivore diet.

 The Carnivore Diet Food Pyramid infographic by Tee Shop USA™ is free to use, provided a link back to this blog or our website is provided for attribution.

 

Eat Beef & Lamb On The Carnivore Diet

While the overconsumption of lamb, cow meat and other red meats is warned against in the general medical community for its links to certain cancers and heart disease, carnivore diet enthusiasts claim that their findings are exaggerated, inconclusive or wrong.

Red meat, according to dieticians who support the carnivore diet, is high in protein and contains essential minerals and vitamins like zinc, iron and B vitamins and will not likely lead to any significant health issues.

Eat grass-fed, organic red meat on the carnivore diet to your level of satisfaction.

Who doesn't love a good, medium rare steak!?

 

Eat Chicken on The Carnivore Diet

Another food that has been a public enemy in the eyes of some health authorities is chicken. According to some experts, chicken is high in dietary cholesterol and unhealthy fats, which can ultimately lead to heart and artery issues.

According to carnivore diet enthusiasts, however, chicken is a lean, high-protein food rich in nutrients, such as B vitamins, choline and selenium, and can be eaten daily to your satisfaction level.

Eat organic, free-range chicken on the carnivore diet.

 

Eat Game Meat on The Carnivore Diet

Doctors and health experts who promote the plant-based diet warn against game meat for its potentially high levels of cholesterol and saturated and unhealthy fats, which may clog arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke.

Carnivore diet enthusiasts beg to differ and claim no significant data has been established to verify these claims

Game meat, dieticians who support the carnivore diet suggest, is a perfectly acceptable part of a natural human diet.

Game meat includes:

Elk, deer, bison, wild turkey, wild boar, squirrel, bear, pheasant, alligator, duck, snake, rabbit, quail, squab, ostrich, moose, caribou, grouse and beaver.

All of these game meats are high in protein and can be eaten by humans for sustenance.

 

Eat Eggs and Other Animal Byproducts on The Carnivore Diet

We've all heard horror stories about eggs and their cholesterol, but the reality is that even honest doctors who support the plant-based diet will tell you that they are rich in nutrients.

Eggs are nutrition powerhouses, containing essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, folate, biotin, B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, B12, selenium, potassium, vitamin K, zinc, vitamin E, and many more beneficial nutrients.

Eat organic eggs as a healthy part of the carnivore diet.

Other animal byproducts to consume include bone broth, bone marrow, lard etc.

 

Eat Fish & Seafood On The Carnivore Diet

Fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel have undeniable benefits, and even many doctors and dieticians who promote the plant-based diet agree.

Rich in omega 3s fatty acids, fish and other forms of seafood like crabs, lobster, scallops, mussels, shrimp etc. are packed with protein and may be enjoyed in limited quantity on the carnivore diet.

While you may enjoy fish and other seafood on the carnivore diet, be mindful of your level of seafood consumption to avoid overconsuming mercury.

Eat only wild-caught fish. Do not consume farm-raised fish.

 

Eat Pork and Bacon on The Carnivore Diet

Few foods have suffered slander from the health community like pork and bacon. According to some health professionals, overconsumption of pork products and bacon can lead to obesity, heart attack and stroke because of its high level of cholesterol and saturated fat.

However, according to some ketogenic doctors and carnivore diet enthusiasts, the fat consumed from pork and bacon will not cause weight gain. With proper exercise, diet (no carbs, sugar, processed foods etc.), water consumption and sunlight, the saturated fat in pork will not adversely affect the human body.

If you're not abstaining from pork products because of religious observance, carnivore diet enthusiasts recommend having some pork in your diet.

Vitamin B6 and B12 are found abundantly in pork, which is imperative for brain function and blood cell formation.

 

Eat Some Hard Cheese and Low-Lactose Dairy Products On The Carnivore Diet

Dairy products are rich in protein, calcium and other nutrients, but high-lactose cheese, heavy cream and butter in higher quantities can lead to inflammation and digestive issues for some individuals.

As such, we carnivore diet enthusiasts recommend eating limited dairy products. You may have some ghee, butter and brie, but go easy on the cheese. Stick to good, unprocessed, protein-rich animal meat.

 

Eat Organ Meat on The Carnivore Diet

While some people may find it difficult to stomach eating an animal's liver, heart, tongue, brain, tripe, kidneys, intestines or testicles (especially the testicles), organ meat from cows, pigs, lambs, goats, chicken, ducks etc., are extremely nutritious.

Organ meat, or offal, is packed with protein and is an excellent source of many essential vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron and B12, which many people are deficient in.

Nose to tail, animals can be used, and much of their bodies can be consumed as part of a nutritious and complete human diet.  

 

Yes, You Can Have Salt and Pepper on The Carnivore Diet

Human beings like the taste of spices, pepper and salt and frequently use them when cooking their meat.

Many whole spices like pepper are fine to use, just make sure you're checking for carbohydrates, as it's important to virtually eliminate carbs from your carnivore diet.

What Not To Eat on The Carnivore Diet

On the carnivore diet, it's essential to eliminate carbs and eat only animal-based foods, hence the name "carnivore diet."

As such, to be truly on the carnivore diet, you must cut out all processed foods, sugars, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, high-lactose dairy products like milk and soft cheeses, coffee, tea, juices, and alcohol.

Drink lots of water!

Just remember, eat only animals on the carnivore diet and very limited animal byproducts.

 

The Bottom Line

The carnivore diet has many potential health benefits. What's important to remember is that it's not always about what you're eating, but also what you're NOT eating.

The carnivore diet eliminates all processed foods, sugars, desserts, pastries and junk food from your diet, which can create a dietary atmosphere conducive to good health and longevity.

Enjoy and be healthy, friends!

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