Carnivore Diet
An all-animal-food pattern with major evidence and nutrient gaps.
What Is It?
The carnivore diet consists exclusively of animal products — primarily meat, fish, and eggs. Some followers include dairy. All plant foods, including vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, are eliminated. It's among the most restrictive diets and remains highly controversial in the nutrition community.
How It Works
Followers eat meat, fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy while excluding vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Claims that avoiding all plants heals inflammation are not established by clinical trials.
Potential upsides
- Extreme simplicity — no meal planning complexity
- High protein intake supports satiety
- A simple set of food rules
- Can eliminate some ultra-processed foods
+ Common foods
- •Beef, lamb, pork, and other red meats
- •Poultry
- •Fish and seafood
- •Eggs
- •Bone broth
- •Animal fats (tallow, lard, butter)
- •Some include dairy (cheese, cream)
− Typically limited or excluded
- •All vegetables
- •All fruits
- •Grains and legumes
- •Nuts and seeds
- •Plant oils
- •Sugar and sweeteners
- •All processed foods
Sample day
An illustration, not a personal meal plan.
EVIDENCE What the research says
There is no good long-term trial evidence showing that an all-meat diet is safe or treats disease. It removes fiber-rich plant foods recommended in mainstream healthy-eating guidance and may increase saturated-fat intake. Anyone considering it for symptoms should first discuss safer, targeted options with a clinician.
Read the evidence