Understanding the 70% Fat Goal on a Carnivore Diet
When aiming for a macro target like "70% fat" on a carnivore diet, it's crucial to understand that this refers to the percentage of your total daily calories, not the weight of your food. Since fat contains 9 calories per gram and protein contains 4 calories per gram, achieving a 70/30 fat-to-protein ratio in calories requires consuming a roughly 1:1 ratio of fat to protein by weight. This nuance is the key to balancing your meals and ensuring you are getting enough energy from fat as you eliminate carbohydrates. Without this critical source of fuel, many people experience symptoms of "protein poisoning" or low energy, which is why a high-fat approach is often recommended.
The Importance of High-Fat Foods
To hit your 70% fat caloric goal, you can't just rely on lean muscle meat. You must actively seek out and consume fats from animal sources. These fats provide sustained energy, promote satiety, and are essential for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and supporting hormone production. Eliminating fear of fat, especially from clean animal sources, is a necessary mental shift for long-term success on a high-fat carnivore diet.
Prioritizing Fatty Meat Cuts and High-Fat Sources
Choosing the right foundational foods is the most straightforward way to increase your fat intake. Some cuts of meat naturally have a higher fat-to-protein ratio, making them ideal for this dietary approach.
- Fatty Beef: Look for ribeye, brisket, and chuck roast, which contain excellent marbling. Ground beef with a higher fat content, such as 73/27 or 75/25, is also a staple for its affordability and versatility.
- Pork Belly and Bacon: These are naturally high-fat pork products. Cooked pork belly can be enjoyed as a meal or snack, while bacon is a great addition to any carnivore breakfast.
- Lamb: Lamb chops and lamb shoulder are excellent, fatty choices that offer a different flavor profile.
- Eggs: Whole eggs contain a good balance of fat and protein, making them a useful tool for balancing your macros.
- Dairy (If Tolerated): Heavy cream can be added to eggs, sauces, or coffee (if you consume it), while high-fat cheeses like brie or cheddar can boost your fat content.
Strategies for Adding Extra Animal Fat
Even with fatty cuts, you may need to add extra fat to hit your 70% goal. This is especially true if you are eating leaner cuts of meat or trying to manage your food budget.
- Rendered Animal Fats: Use rendered beef tallow, pork lard, or duck fat for cooking and flavoring. Rendering tallow at home from beef suet is a simple and cost-effective method.
- Butter and Ghee: Grass-fed butter or ghee is an easy way to add fat to any dish. It can be melted over steaks, mixed into ground beef, or used for frying.
- Fatty Sauces: Create simple, high-fat sauces like a carnivore mayo made with egg yolks and bacon grease or tallow.
- Pemmican: A traditional, nutrient-dense survival food made from dried meat and rendered fat, pemmican is an ultimate high-fat carnivore snack.
Meal Planning for a 70% Fat Carnivore Diet
To consistently hit your macros, it can be helpful to build your meals around high-fat components. Here is an example of a day's eating:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (use 4-5) cooked in a generous amount of butter or beef tallow, served with 4-5 slices of thick-cut bacon.
- Lunch: A large patty of 75/25 ground beef, topped with high-fat cheese (if tolerated).
- Dinner: A well-marbled ribeye steak, seared in its own fat and finished with a large knob of butter.
Comparison Table: Leaner vs. High-Fat Carnivore Meals
| Feature | Leaner Carnivore Meal | High-Fat Carnivore Meal |
|---|---|---|
| Meat Choice | Chicken breast, sirloin steak, lean ground beef | Ribeye steak, brisket, 75/25 ground beef, pork belly |
| Cooking Fat | Minimal oil or fat used | Basting with butter, cooking in tallow/lard |
| Additions | Primarily salt | Salt, butter, high-fat cheese, heavy cream |
| Energy Source | Higher reliance on gluconeogenesis from protein | Primarily ketones derived from dietary fat |
| Satiety Level | May leave you feeling hungry sooner | Promotes longer-lasting satiety |
| Fat-to-Protein Ratio (by weight) | Low (e.g., 1:2) | Closer to 1:1 or higher |
Conclusion: Making High-Fat Carnivore Sustainable
Mastering how to get 70 fat on a carnivore diet is a matter of strategic food selection and prioritizing high-quality, animal-based fats. By understanding that the target is based on caloric intake, you can make informed decisions at the grocery store and in the kitchen. Focusing on naturally fatty cuts like ribeye and pork belly, and liberally using rendered animal fats and butter, allows for a nutrient-dense approach that fuels your body with clean energy. For more detailed nutritional analysis, it can be helpful to consult studies, such as research on the nutrient composition of this dietary approach. This strategy promotes satiety, supports metabolic health, and provides a sustainable framework for your carnivore journey.
Assessing the Nutrient Composition of a Carnivore Diet: A Case Study and Considerations
