What foods does Eddie Hall eat? Unpacking the Strongman and Carnivore Diets

January 4, 2026 •

3 min read

At his peak as a strongman, Eddie Hall famously consumed upwards of 16,000 calories per day to fuel his massive frame and historic 500kg deadlift. The answer to what foods does Eddie Hall eat has evolved dramatically since his retirement from strongman, shifting to a more targeted approach for boxing and MMA.

Quick Summary

This article explores the dramatic differences in Eddie Hall's diet, detailing his immense, high-calorie strongman bulk and his recent transition to a protein- and fat-focused carnivore diet for MMA. It covers his typical meals and the rationale behind his nutritional changes.

Key Points

Strongman Bulk: During his strongman peak, Eddie Hall consumed over 16,000 calories daily from a wide range of dense foods to maintain his massive size.
Carnivore Cut: He recently adopted a carnivore diet for MMA, reducing his intake to around 10,000 calories focused solely on meat, eggs, and dairy to lose body fat.
Key Foods: Staples across his diets include ribeye steak and eggs, though the quantities and preparation methods vary greatly.
Strategic Snacking: Hall utilizes strategic snacking, such as protein shakes and biltong, to meet his intense macro requirements throughout the day.
Dietary Adaptation: His diet evolved significantly from consuming high-carb junk foods like cheesecake to a cleaner, zero-carb carnivore plan as his athletic goals changed.
Consistency is Key: Regardless of the specific diet, Hall emphasizes that consistency is the most important factor for achieving his performance goals.

Eddie Hall's Legendary Strongman Diet

During his prime strongman years, Eddie Hall's diet was an epic feat of eating, designed to support his punishing training regimen and immense body weight. The sheer volume of food was staggering, with Hall consuming up to 16,000 calories daily. His approach was focused on quantity to maintain his size, with less concern for 'clean' eating compared to a bodybuilder's diet. His food choices were deliberately dense and often high in carbohydrates and fats to pack in the necessary energy.

A Typical Strongman-Era Day of Eating

Eddie Hall's strongman diet involved multiple large meals and snacks throughout the day to meet his extreme caloric needs. You can find detailed examples of his daily intake, including two breakfasts, snacks, lunch, pre-workout meals, mid-workout food, dinner, and even nighttime snacks, in the provided sources.

The Shift to a Carnivore Diet for MMA

After retiring from competitive strongman events, Hall shifted his focus to boxing and later MMA. This career change required a leaner physique, better cardiovascular fitness, and a lower overall body fat percentage. His diet changed dramatically, with Hall experimenting with a carnivore diet that involved eating almost exclusively meat, eggs, and dairy for a period. This diet drastically cut his calorie intake to around 9,000–10,000, still a high number but a significant reduction from his strongman days. The high-fat, high-protein approach was used to help him drop significant weight while retaining muscle mass.

Carnivore Diet Meal Plan for MMA

His carnivore diet for MMA included specific meals throughout the day focusing on animal products. Examples of his daily meals can be found in the provided sources, including breakfast, lunch, mid-workout fuel, an afternoon snack, and dinner, often featuring steak, eggs, and protein shakes.

Strongman Diet vs. Carnivore Diet: A Comparison


Aspect	Strongman Diet	Carnivore Diet (for MMA)
Primary Goal	Maximize caloric intake for strength and size	Reduce body fat while maintaining muscle
Calorie Range	12,000 - 16,000+ kcal	9,000 - 10,000 kcal
Macronutrient Focus	High carbs, high fats, high protein	Very high protein, high fat, zero carbs
Key Food Examples	Full English breakfast, pasta, cheesecake, energy drinks	Steak, eggs, salmon, butter, cottage cheese
Plant-Based Foods	Included vegetables and fruits	Excluded (vegetables added back later for fibre)
Dietary Challenge	Consuming enough food was a 'chore'	Avoiding digestive issues, getting sufficient vitamins

Eddie Hall's Evolving Dietary Philosophy

Over his career, Hall has consistently matched his diet to his specific training goals. The strongman era demanded an astronomical calorie count, often with less regard for the nutritional source, focusing purely on energy density. His pivot to MMA and his recent carnivore experiment reflects a more nuanced understanding of body composition and performance, favouring a diet that trims fat while preserving strength. He recognizes the need for nutritional consistency and has even utilized meal prep services to simplify his process, stating, "My first tip is always match your food to your goal". While his dietary experiments are extreme and not recommended for the average person, they illustrate how a disciplined approach to nutrition is essential for peak athletic performance. You can read more about his training and nutrition insights on sites like BarBend.

Conclusion

From the immense, anything-goes volume of his strongman bulk to the strict, meat-centric approach of his MMA preparation, Eddie Hall’s diet is a story of incredible adaptation. What foods does Eddie Hall eat has been dictated entirely by his competitive goals. His history demonstrates that for elite athletes, nutrition is a tool that must be constantly refined and adjusted to meet the specific demands of their sport, even if it means consuming an intimidating quantity of food or drastically altering one's approach. While the methods may differ, the principle of unwavering dedication to fueling his body remains a constant throughout his career.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eddie Hall's diet has evolved, but he recently followed a carnivore-based plan for his MMA training, focusing on meat, eggs, and dairy to cut body fat while maintaining muscle. He may reintroduce carbs depending on his specific training objectives.

During his strongman career, Eddie Hall famously consumed up to and sometimes over 16,000 calories per day to support his heavy training and immense body mass.

During his strongman days, Hall would eat a massive full English breakfast and follow it up with a second breakfast of porridge and fruit. In his carnivore phase, his breakfast consisted of salmon, eggs, cottage cheese, and a milkshake.

Yes, during his strongman bulking phase, Eddie Hall was known to consume junk food like cheesecake to meet his massive caloric needs, as clean eating wasn't his main focus. He has since cut back on junk food significantly.

Eddie Hall changed his diet to transition from strongman to MMA, a sport requiring a leaner physique with better cardiovascular fitness. His doctors also expressed health concerns about his high body weight.

Hall lost weight on his carnivore diet despite a high calorie count because of his incredibly intense, three-times-a-day training regimen. His high fat and protein intake kept him feeling full, and his high activity level created a significant calorie deficit for fat loss.

Yes, Eddie Hall has publicly endorsed and used meal prep services like Prep Kitchen to help him conveniently and consistently meet his demanding macro and calorie requirements.