What is an example of a high fat carnivore diet?

December 28, 2025 •

4 min read

The carnivore diet, in its most basic form, consists entirely of animal products. A high fat carnivore diet, however, is a specific variation that emphasizes a higher intake of fat over protein to drive the body into a state of ketosis for energy.

Quick Summary

A high fat carnivore diet focuses on high-fat animal foods like ribeye, pork belly, and tallow to maintain a state of ketosis. Examples include a daily menu featuring fatty cuts of meat, eggs cooked in animal fat, and nutrient-dense options like bone marrow.

Key Points

Fat for Fuel: The core principle is utilizing high fat intake to put the body into ketosis, using fat as the primary energy source.
Prioritize Fatty Cuts: Key to the diet are fatty cuts of meat like ribeye, pork belly, and ground beef with a higher fat ratio, as well as fatty fish like salmon.
Amplify Fat Content: Pure animal fats such as butter, ghee, and tallow are used extensively for cooking and as a finishing touch to increase the overall fat in meals.
Focus on Satiety: A high fat intake promotes greater satiety, helping to reduce overall food volume and hunger cravings.
Strategic Meal Timing: Many adherents find that the high satiety allows for fewer meals per day, with some adopting an intermittent fasting schedule.
Monitor and Adapt: Finding the right fat-to-protein balance is a personal process that may require some experimentation to achieve optimal energy and digestion.

A high fat carnivore diet is an approach that prioritizes fat intake from animal sources, making it a form of a ketogenic diet. While a standard carnivore diet is already high in fat compared to many mainstream diets, the high-fat version actively aims for a specific macronutrient ratio, often around 80% calories from fat and 20% from protein. This approach is used by some to improve satiety, stabilize blood sugar, and enhance mental clarity by ensuring the body is primarily running on fat for fuel. Below is a detailed example of what such a diet could look like.

Example High Fat Carnivore Meal Plan

A weekly meal plan on a high fat carnivore diet revolves around fatty cuts of meat, eggs, fish, and pure animal fats. Flexibility is key, with some adherents eating only once or twice per day due to the high satiety from fat.

Monday

Breakfast: Three scrambled eggs cooked in a generous amount of beef tallow with a side of sugar-free bacon.
Dinner: A large, fatty ribeye steak basted in butter while cooking.

Tuesday

Breakfast: A few slices of rich, fatty pork belly.
Dinner: Ground beef (80/20 or fattier) made into large patties, topped with a slice of hard cheese if dairy is tolerated.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Lamb chops, which offer a naturally high fat-to-protein ratio.
Dinner: Fatty cuts of beef chuck roast, slow-cooked until tender, with the liquid drizzled over the meat.

Thursday

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs mixed with crumbled, crispy sugar-free bacon.
Dinner: Wild-caught salmon fillets cooked with a large pat of butter.

Friday

Breakfast: Fatty ground beef (80/20) patties cooked in their own rendered fat.
Dinner: Roasted duck legs with the skin on for maximum fat content.

Saturday

Breakfast: Pork sausages (check for no fillers or sugar) cooked in lard.
Dinner: Beef short ribs braised until they are falling off the bone, retaining all the rich fat and collagen.

Sunday

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and a bowl of nutrient-dense bone broth.
Dinner: A mix of ground beef and a high-fat pork sausage.

Key Food Sources for a High Fat Carnivore Diet

To achieve the high fat content, specific food choices are important. This diet emphasizes selecting fatty cuts and incorporating additional animal fats.

High-Fat Meats: Fatty cuts of meat, especially from beef, are a staple. Choices like ribeye steak, short ribs, chuck roast, and 80/20 or 70/30 ground beef are ideal.
Pork and Poultry: Don't overlook fatty pork products like pork belly, bacon (ensure it is sugar-free), and pork shoulder. When choosing poultry, opt for skin-on, bone-in cuts like chicken thighs and duck.
Fatty Fish: Rich, oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines provide not only fat but also essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Animal Fats: Extra cooking fats are critical for boosting fat content. This includes butter, ghee, beef tallow, and pork lard. You can add a pat of butter to cooked meat or use tallow for searing.
Eggs: Pasture-raised eggs are a nutrient-dense and versatile food source, with the fat concentrated in the yolk.
Optional Dairy: For those who can tolerate it, high-fat, low-lactose dairy products like hard cheeses, heavy cream, and butter can be included.

Increasing Your Fat Intake Strategically

Boosting your fat intake doesn't have to be complicated. Simple strategies can help achieve the desired fat-to-protein ratio.

Render Your Own Fat: Rendering beef tallow or pork lard is an effective and cost-efficient way to ensure you have a pure animal-based cooking fat on hand.
Add Sauces: While sauces on a carnivore diet are limited, you can create simple, fatty sauces by melting butter or a different animal fat with bone broth and drizzling it over your meat.
Cook Lean with Fat: When preparing leaner cuts of meat like chicken breast or sirloin steak, simply cook them in a generous amount of butter or tallow to increase the fat content.
Focus on Yolk: If eating eggs, prioritize the nutrient-rich yolks. You can cook eggs in more fat or use a ratio of more yolks to whites for a higher fat percentage.

Comparison: Standard vs. High-Fat Carnivore


Feature	Standard Carnivore	High-Fat Carnivore
Primary Goal	Elimination diet, focusing on all-animal products.	High fat-for-fuel intake, aiming for a specific macronutrient ratio.
Fat Emphasis	Varies; may include leaner cuts of meat.	Prioritizes fattier cuts and added animal fats.
Macronutrient Ratio	High protein, moderate fat.	Very high fat (e.g., 80% calories), moderate protein.
Energy Source	Protein and fat are utilized for energy.	Primed for ketosis, relying primarily on fat for fuel.
Satiety	Good satiety from protein and fat.	Extremely high satiety from a higher fat intake.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a high fat carnivore diet is a specialized version of the all-meat diet that strategically increases fat consumption for energy and satiety. An example meal plan showcases a variety of fatty cuts, eggs, and added animal fats like butter and tallow. This approach aims to maximize the body's use of fat as a fuel source, though it requires careful planning to ensure nutritional needs are met through animal sources alone. As with any highly restrictive diet, consulting with a healthcare professional is advisable before making such a significant change to your eating habits.

To learn more about the broader context of different low-carb approaches and health implications, an authoritative resource can be found here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/what-is-the-carnivore-diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

A standard carnivore diet includes all animal products but doesn't necessarily emphasize a high fat-to-protein ratio. The high fat version specifically aims for a higher caloric intake from fat, often targeting a ratio like 80% fat and 20% protein, to promote ketosis.

The best cuts include ribeye steaks, pork belly, fatty ground beef (80/20 or higher fat), short ribs, and chuck roast, all of which offer a naturally higher fat content.

You can add more fat by cooking with generous amounts of butter, ghee, or tallow. Drizzling melted animal fat over cooked meat is another simple and effective method.

Some followers include low-lactose dairy like butter, ghee, hard cheeses, and heavy cream, especially if tolerated well. However, many choose to exclude dairy entirely.

By transitioning the body to use fat for fuel, many people report more stable, sustained energy levels throughout the day. This is often accompanied by improved mental clarity and reduced fatigue.

The long-term safety of such a restrictive diet is a subject of ongoing debate among health professionals. Potential concerns include nutrient deficiencies and the effects of high saturated fat intake. Consultation with a doctor is recommended.

Protein poisoning can occur when consuming too much lean meat without enough fat. It results from the body's inability to process excessive protein efficiently. A high fat intake balances the macros, ensuring fat remains the primary fuel source and preventing this issue.