What is the diet called that you only eat meat? An In-Depth Look at the Carnivore Diet

November 11, 2025 •

5 min read

According to a 2021 study, the carnivore diet has attracted significant popular attention, with a large group of adherents reporting perceived health benefits. So, what is the diet called that you only eat meat? This eating plan is known as the carnivore diet, a highly restrictive regimen that focuses exclusively on animal products.

Quick Summary

The carnivore diet is a restrictive eating plan consisting solely of meat and animal products while excluding all plant-based foods. It is claimed to offer benefits like weight loss, but reliable scientific research is limited, and experts raise concerns about nutrient deficiencies.

Key Points

Carnivore Diet: This is the name for the diet where you only eat meat and other animal products, completely excluding all plant-based foods.
Ketosis for Energy: The diet works by eliminating carbohydrates, forcing the body into ketosis to burn fat for fuel instead of glucose.
Restrictive and Lacking Nutrients: It removes essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, and grains, potentially leading to deficiencies.
Potential Health Risks: High intake of saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol, and high protein can stress the kidneys, potentially increasing the risk of heart and kidney problems.
Unproven and Unsustainable: The diet is not backed by reliable long-term studies, and its highly restrictive nature makes it difficult for most people to maintain.
Consult a Professional: Due to the significant health concerns, medical experts recommend consulting a doctor or dietitian before attempting the carnivore diet.

What is the carnivore diet?

The carnivore diet is a highly restrictive dietary approach that eliminates all plant-based foods, focusing exclusively on meat, fish, eggs, and some animal-derived products. Proponents believe this ancestral eating pattern is optimal for human health, claiming that early humans ate a predominantly meat-based diet and thrived on high levels of protein and fat. It is often considered an extreme form of a low-carb diet, pushing the principle of carbohydrate restriction to its logical extreme by aiming for zero carbs.

While some versions are very strict, allowing only meat and water, others may permit small amounts of low-lactose dairy products, such as butter and hard cheeses. The most extreme version, known as the 'Lion Diet,' restricts intake to only beef, salt, and water. The fundamental rule remains consistent: if it comes from a plant, it is not allowed.

How the carnivore diet works

The diet's core mechanism is the complete elimination of carbohydrates, which forces the body into a state of ketosis. In ketosis, the body shifts from using glucose (from carbs) as its primary energy source to burning fat for fuel, producing molecules called ketones. This metabolic state is similar to what occurs on a ketogenic diet but is achieved more intensely due to the complete lack of carbohydrates.

Advocates believe that removing all plant-based foods can alleviate health issues by eliminating potential allergens, anti-nutrients (like lectins and phytic acid), and other compounds that they claim cause inflammation. By simplifying the diet to only animal products, followers hope to reset their bodies, reduce inflammation, and identify food sensitivities. The high protein and fat content is also highly satiating, which can naturally lead to reduced calorie intake and subsequent weight loss.

A detailed look at the diet's foods

Foods to eat

The list of approved foods is short and simple, making meal planning straightforward, if not monotonous. Foods generally permitted include:

Red meat: Beef, lamb, and pork (fattier cuts are often encouraged for energy).
Poultry: Chicken, turkey, and duck.
Fish and seafood: Salmon, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, and crab.
Organ meats: Liver, kidney, and heart (often recommended for nutrient density).
Other animal products: Eggs, bone marrow, bone broth, and animal fats like lard and tallow.
Low-lactose dairy: Some followers include small amounts of butter, ghee, and hard cheeses.

Foods to avoid

The following items are completely eliminated on the carnivore diet:

Fruits and vegetables: All produce is excluded, including starchy and non-starchy varieties.
Grains: Wheat, rice, oats, and other grains are not permitted.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and peas are all off the menu.
Nuts and seeds: These are excluded due to their plant origin.
Sugars and sweeteners: All sugars are forbidden.
Other plant-based items: This includes most oils, spices (some are lenient on pepper and salt), coffee, and tea.

Potential risks and side effects

While anecdotal success stories are common on social media, medical professionals and nutrition experts express serious concerns about the carnivore diet due to its extreme restrictiveness and lack of long-term studies.

Nutrient Deficiencies: Eliminating all plant foods removes major sources of essential nutrients. This includes dietary fiber, which is critical for digestive health and preventing constipation. It also cuts out vitamin C, which is necessary for tissue repair, and antioxidants, which protect against disease.
Heart Health Concerns: The diet's high saturated fat and cholesterol content, especially from red meat, can increase levels of LDL ('bad') cholesterol, raising the risk of heart disease.
Kidney Stress: A high-protein intake can place an added burden on the kidneys. This is particularly dangerous for individuals with pre-existing kidney conditions.
Digestive Issues: The complete lack of fiber can disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to digestive problems, including constipation. Some followers have also reported diarrhea as a side effect.
Cancer Risk: High consumption of red and processed meats has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, particularly colorectal cancer.
Sustainability and Disordered Eating: The highly restrictive nature of the diet makes it difficult to maintain long-term and can lead to unhealthy eating patterns or disordered eating behaviors.

Carnivore vs. other low-carb diets

To understand the carnivore diet's place among other popular low-carbohydrate plans, let's compare its strictness and components.


Feature	Carnivore Diet	Ketogenic (Keto) Diet	Mediterranean Diet
Allowed Foods	Animal products only (meat, fish, eggs, some dairy).	High fat, moderate protein, very low carbs. Includes some plant foods.	High in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fish. Low in red meat.
Carbohydrate Intake	Zero or near-zero carbs.	Extremely low (typically 20-50g per day).	Moderate and primarily from complex, whole food sources.
Key Focus	Eliminating all plant-based foods, potentially reducing inflammation.	Inducing ketosis by limiting carbs to burn fat for energy.	Promoting overall health and longevity through a balanced, plant-focused approach.
Nutritional Variety	Very limited, high risk of nutrient deficiencies.	Limited, but allows for more nutrients from low-carb plant foods.	High, rich in a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Scientific Consensus	Lacks long-term evidence; not recommended by most health experts.	More studied than carnivore, but long-term effects still debated.	Strongly supported by extensive scientific research for positive health outcomes.

Conclusion

The diet where you only eat meat is called the carnivore diet, and it represents an extremely restrictive approach to nutrition. While it may lead to short-term weight loss and anecdotal improvements for some, it is not recommended by the vast majority of medical professionals. The diet's elimination of entire food groups results in a lack of essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants, and the high intake of saturated fat and protein raises concerns for heart and kidney health. Because robust, long-term scientific evidence is currently lacking, and due to its potential health risks and sustainability issues, caution is strongly advised. Anyone considering such a drastic dietary change should first consult a healthcare professional to ensure it is appropriate for their individual health needs.

For more detailed insights into the carnivore diet and its nutritional implications, you can explore the research findings in this review of the nutritional adequacy of plant-free diets.(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32833688/)

Frequently Asked Questions

The diet that consists of eating only meat and other animal products is called the carnivore diet.

Medical and nutrition experts express serious concerns about the carnivore diet due to its extreme restrictiveness and lack of essential nutrients like fiber and vitamin C. Long-term studies are lacking, and it is not generally recommended.

On the carnivore diet, you can eat meat (red meat, poultry, pork, fish), eggs, and some animal-derived fats like butter. You must avoid all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Weight loss on the carnivore diet is possible due to the high protein and fat content, which can increase satiety and reduce overall calorie intake. However, similar to other restrictive diets, sustaining this weight loss can be challenging, and it is not scientifically proven to be more effective long-term than other approaches.

The main risks include nutrient deficiencies (especially fiber and vitamin C), potential for increased LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk, added stress on the kidneys from high protein, and digestive issues like constipation.

The carnivore diet is an extreme version of a ketogenic diet. While both are low-carb, the keto diet still permits some plant-based foods like vegetables, nuts, and seeds, whereas the carnivore diet completely eliminates all plant matter.

Some people may report short-term benefits by eliminating processed foods, added sugars, and potential allergens found in plants. However, these improvements are largely anecdotal and not supported by robust scientific evidence.