What is the diet called when you only eat red meat? Understanding the Carnivore and Lion Diets

December 15, 2025 •

4 min read

Promoted by anecdotal claims on social media, the diet where you only eat red meat is typically an extreme version of the broader Carnivore Diet, designed to eliminate plant-based foods. This highly restrictive eating pattern has specific names and rules, often varying among followers.

Quick Summary

An all-red-meat diet is a form of the Carnivore Diet, with the most extreme version being the Lion Diet. This restrictive plan permits only animal products while excluding all other food groups.

Key Points

Diet Name: The diet for exclusively red meat is the Lion Diet, a stricter version of the overall Carnivore Diet.
Primary Foods: The core of this diet is ruminant meat, such as beef and lamb, with salt and water as the only other allowances.
Health Concerns: Major risks include nutrient deficiencies (especially Vitamin C and fiber), high saturated fat intake, and potential kidney strain.
Anecdotal Evidence: While some report benefits like weight loss and reduced inflammation, scientific evidence supporting the diet's efficacy is limited and largely anecdotal.
Professional Guidance: Health experts do not recommend this diet long-term and advise seeking consultation with a doctor before attempting it due to its extreme nature.

Unpacking the Carnivore and Lion Diets

When people ask, “What is the diet called when you only eat red meat?”, they are usually referring to a form of the Carnivore Diet. The standard Carnivore Diet, however, includes all animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy. A more restrictive variation, famously popularized by Mikhaila Peterson, is known as the Lion Diet, which limits food intake to only ruminant meat (primarily beef), salt, and water. Both diets operate on the principle of eliminating all carbohydrates and plant-based foods, triggering a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy. Proponents claim this can lead to weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improved mood, though scientific evidence is limited.

Core Principles and Allowed Foods

At its heart, the Carnivore Diet is an elimination diet. By removing all plant-based foods—including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds—followers aim to identify food sensitivities and reduce inflammation. While the most extreme versions focus solely on red meat, a standard Carnivore approach includes a wider range of animal products.

What You Can Eat

Red Meat: This is the cornerstone for both diets, with fatty cuts like ribeye, chuck roast, and brisket often encouraged.
Other Meats: Standard carnivores also consume pork, lamb, and poultry, such as chicken and turkey.
Fish and Seafood: Salmon, sardines, trout, and various shellfish are generally permitted.
Organ Meats: Liver, kidney, and heart are highly encouraged due to their dense nutrient profiles.
Eggs: A staple for many on the diet.
Animal Fats: Tallow, lard, and butter are used for cooking.
Limited Dairy: Some variations allow low-lactose dairy, like certain hard cheeses or heavy cream, while purists avoid it.
Seasoning: Salt is a primary and often the only permitted seasoning, though some might use pepper.

What You Can't Eat

All fruits and vegetables
All grains (rice, wheat, corn)
All legumes (beans, lentils, soy)
All nuts and seeds
All refined sugars and sweeteners
All processed foods and seed oils
Coffee and tea (often excluded by purists)
Alcohol

Comparison: Carnivore vs. Lion Diet

This table highlights the key differences between the broader Carnivore approach and the ultra-restrictive Lion Diet.


Feature	Standard Carnivore Diet	Lion Diet
Primary Focus	All animal products	Only ruminant animals (beef, lamb, goat)
Meats Allowed	Beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood	Beef, lamb, goat, bison, deer
Dairy	Allowed in limited, low-lactose amounts	Excluded
Eggs	Included	Excluded
Seasoning	Salt, pepper, other carb-free spices	Salt only
Objective	Weight loss, general health improvement	Elimination diet to identify food sensitivities

Risks and Considerations

While proponents promote potential benefits, health experts raise significant concerns about an all-meat or red-meat-only diet. The restrictive nature of the Carnivore and Lion diets creates a high risk of nutritional deficiencies and other health complications.

Key Health Risks

Nutrient Deficiencies: Eliminating all plant-based foods means losing out on crucial vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and magnesium, as well as antioxidants and fiber.
Lack of Fiber: The complete absence of dietary fiber can lead to significant digestive issues, most notably constipation, and negatively impact gut microbiome health.
High Saturated Fat: A diet focused on red and processed meats is high in saturated fats. This can raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Kidney Strain: Excessively high protein intake puts added stress on the kidneys, potentially impairing long-term kidney function and increasing the risk of kidney stones.
Increased Cancer Risk: High consumption of red and processed meats has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, particularly colorectal cancer.
Social and Psychological Challenges: The extreme restrictiveness makes social situations difficult and can be unsustainable for many, potentially leading to unhealthy eating patterns.

Conclusion: A High-Risk, Unproven Approach

The diet called when you only eat red meat is most accurately described as a specific, highly restrictive form of the Carnivore Diet, known as the Lion Diet. While the initial weight loss and reduced inflammation experienced by some are often a result of calorie restriction and eliminating processed junk food, the long-term health implications are not well-studied and potentially dangerous. Eliminating entire food groups, especially those containing fiber and essential micronutrients, is generally not recommended by dietitians and other health professionals. If you are considering such a restrictive diet, consulting with a doctor or registered dietitian is crucial to manage health risks and ensure proper nutrient intake. For most people, a balanced diet rich in a variety of whole foods remains the most sustainable and beneficial approach to long-term health. Learn more about the potential health implications of this eating pattern by visiting Healthline's detailed analysis on the topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Carnivore Diet generally allows all animal products, including beef, fish, poultry, eggs, and some dairy. The Lion Diet is a more restrictive version that only permits ruminant meat (like beef or lamb), water, and salt.

In the short term, weight loss can occur due to the diet's restrictive nature, which often leads to reduced calorie intake. However, this is not a sustainable or medically recommended method for weight management.

Yes, a diet restricted to only meat is highly likely to cause nutrient deficiencies. It lacks essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods.

Key health risks include increased LDL cholesterol from high saturated fat intake, potential kidney and liver stress from high protein, lack of fiber causing constipation, and an elevated risk of certain cancers.

The Lion Diet is typically used as a short-term, extreme elimination diet to identify food sensitivities. It is not designed or considered healthy for long-term adherence.

No, major health organizations, including the American Heart Association and dietetic bodies, do not endorse these restrictive diets. They advocate for a balanced diet that includes a variety of food groups.

Strict followers of the Carnivore Diet avoid coffee and tea, as they are plant-based. Some less rigid versions might allow it, but purists stick to water and bone broth.