On the Carnivore Diet, People Are Eating Only Meat: Here’s What to Know

High-protein diets are all the rage, but one outdoes all the rest. It’s aptly named the carnivore diet, and it focuses on meat, just meat. If that sounds questionable from a health perspective, that’s because it is.

While some research backs up the benefits of more balanced high-protein diets, many experts are skeptical about the carnivore diet, in spite of endorsements from a small group of extreme athletes and celebrities including the podcaster Joe Rogan. In January 2022, Rogan announced on Instagram that in honor of World Carnivore Month, he would eat only meat and fruit (the latter is not officially part of the diet, but more on that below).

Judging by what science has determined about the nutrients necessary for human health, it's more likely that people who try a meat-only diet for an extended period will end up like the singer James Blunt, who revealed that he had developed scurvy after attempting a carnivore diet. But with people like Rogan still following it, you may want to learn exactly what it entails and the potential risks. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about this animal-based eating pattern.

Unlike other high-protein, low-carb diets, the carnivore diet allows zero carbs. It includes “only foods that either walked, swam, or flew,” says Kelly Schmidt, RD, a holistic dietitian in private practice in Columbus, Ohio. While it may be a trend, “eating only meat is not sexy,” she says. “It’s not colorful, and it’s not fun.” Most people who try the diet are motivated by a strong desire to lose weight or to address an autoimmune condition.

The carnivore diet is often a step people take after trying the paleo diet or the ketogenic diet, says Diana Rodgers, RD, of the Sustainable Dish, located in Concord, Massachusetts. Paleo (aka the “caveman” diet) focuses on fresh fruits, vegetables, grass-fed meats, and wild seafood, while eliminating added sugars, grains, dairy, and legumes.

The ketogenic diet — also called “keto” — is a very high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate diet. Not everyone enjoys eating the amount of fat required by a keto diet, and they may instead opt for a high-protein diet like carnivore, says Rodgers.

Who Is Shawn Baker? And What’s His Role in the Popularity of the Carnivore Diet?

Shawn Baker, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and a major leader in the carnivore diet movement. He wrote a book that was released in early 2018 titled The Carnivore Diet, and cofounded Revero, an online community and coaching platform that promotes the carnivore diet.

A meat-only diet is pretty self-explanatory — you’re going to eat only meat. Nonetheless, as with all diets, there are a few gray areas.

Foods to Eat on the Carnivore Diet

Here’s what you’ll be eating: Red meat (beef, pork, lamb), with an emphasis on fattier cuts of meat so you'll take in enough calories.

Other options include:

• Organ meats
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Lard
• Bone marrow
• Butter
• Salt and pepper
• Water
• Bone broth
• Sauces or gravies, provided they are made only with meat drippings mixed with butter or ghee and no binders such as flour

Foods That May Be Okay on the Carnivore Diet

Foods that might be acceptable, as some people interpret the “comes from an animal” part of the carnivore diet, says Schmidt, include:

• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Coffee and tea: These are plant-based, but some people keep these in the diet.

Foods Not Allowed on the Carnivore Diet

• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Legumes
• Bread
• Pasta
• Grains
• Alcohol

Anything else that isn’t meat, poultry, or fish, or derived from one of those, is not allowed on the carnivore diet.

Breakfast Three eggs cooked in butter; ham; and cheese (optional)

Lunch Rib eye steak

Dinner Hamburger patties and bacon

Notice there are no snacks here. One of the benefits of a carnivore diet is the fullness factor of high protein consumption, so people are usually not hungry in between meals. Some people also opt to skip breakfast, though registered dietitians don’t recommend this for optimal health.

The carnivore diet can be seen as an extreme form of an elimination diet, Schmidt says. Because people following this fad eat only a few different foods, they eliminate many of the items that commonly cause food sensitivities, like nuts, wheat, and soybeans. The carnivore diet is also popular with people who think it will result in weight loss, despite a lack of research on whether it is effective in that capacity.

There’s no arguing that all that protein is highly satiating, which could help curb calorie intake (as might the monotony of eating the same foods over and over). And as previously mentioned, there's no snacking on this diet. It eliminates mindless eating, says Schmidt. “You don’t mindlessly eat chicken breasts. It’s a very palatable diet, but you don’t lick your plate,” she says.

You may also enter into a state of ketosis on the carnivore diet, says Schmidt. In that state, your body is burning fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates. That’s not a guarantee, though. It’s a misconception that all you need to do is to severely limit carbs to get to ketosis — protein matters, too. “In excess, protein can lead to an increase in blood sugar and insulin levels, and it can kick you out of ketosis,” says Schmidt. If ketosis is your goal, having some fat with your protein, for example with eggs, butter, and cheese, may help. Bear in mind that these additions may not have the greatest impact on your health in other ways.

“There are a lot of downsides to the carnivore diet,” says Liz Weinandy, MPH, RDN, a dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “We have multiple food groups for a reason: They each provide us with a range of nutrients.” Humans are omnivores, which means we derive nutrients from a variety of foods, both animal- and plant-based. Eating only one food group is a problem, no matter which one (even if it’s just vegetables). Limiting yourself to all meat can cause you to run low in certain nutrients that are abundant in plants, like vitamin C and vitamin E, Weinandy says.

Another consideration: Extreme restriction or labeling foods “good” or “bad” can also set off disordered-eating behaviors or full-blown eating disorders, Weinandy says.

What if You Opt for Lean Meats, Like Fish and Poultry?

Practically speaking, you’d have to eat a lot of lean protein to get enough calories in a day. Focusing on lean poultry or fish like chicken breast and cod may also prevent you from entering ketosis, which is a goal of many people who go on very low or zero-carb diets for weight loss. If you want to be in ketosis, you’ll need to opt for fattier meats rather than filling up on skinless chicken breasts, but again, there is limited research on how healthy this is overall.

Metabolizing high amounts of protein can also put a lot of stress on the kidneys, and you'll likely miss out on disease-fighting nutrients such as fiber and antioxidants like vitamins C and E, says Weinandy.

What About the Claim That Certain Tribes Subsist Only on Meat?

If you believe you have food intolerances, the carnivore diet can serve as a short-term elimination diet to uncover foods that potentially don’t agree with your system. You may try this diet for six weeks and then reintroduce new foods slowly (one potential intolerance at a time) to see what does or does not agree with you, says Schmidt.

But if you’re looking at an elimination diet of any sort, first consult a registered dietitian with knowledge of your health concerns and medical background. The carnivore diet is not the only way to do an elimination diet, says Weinandy. “There is a process and protocol to identify foods that people don’t tolerate. Everyone is different. We need to look at every individual and try to devise a plan that’s optimal for them,” she says. Often, this can be achieved by a less-restrictive means.

Because there is no research on the long-term safety or risks involved with following this kind of diet for an extended period of time, it is not wise to do so. If you’re prone to disordered eating, you should avoid this or any fad diet. Anyone who has a chronic disease, like diabetes or heart disease, should talk to their doctor before trying an extreme diet like this one. Lastly, do not follow the carnivore diet if you have any level of kidney disease.

While this diet may sound crazy to some people, “as a dietitian, I try to be as open-minded as possible,” says Rodgers. “If there’s an intervention that’s working for people, I don’t discount that.” That said, there is no research into the short- or long-term effects of this diet, which makes it risky.

As with any diet, “it’s okay to experiment with getting your nutrition, but make sure it doesn’t harm you. Be realistic about your health, and if your health is suffering, it’s time to look at another solution,” Rodgers says. No diet is a panacea.