You're going carnivore and you want a straight answer: what can I actually eat?
No philosophy. No 40-minute YouTube rabbit holes. Just the list.
This is the complete carnivore diet food list, organized by category, ranked by nutrient density, and built so you can screenshot it and take it to the grocery store. We'll cover the obvious stuff, the gray areas everyone argues about, and what to skip entirely.
Let's get into it.
What Can You Eat on the Carnivore Diet?
The rule is simple: if it came from an animal, it's on the table. Meat, fish, eggs, and animal fats are the foundation. Some people include dairy. That's it.
There are a few "tiers" of strictness that Dr. Paul Saladino lays out in The Carnivore Code, and they're worth knowing:
- Tier 1 (Lion Diet): Ruminant meat (beef, lamb, bison), salt, water. Nothing else. This is the elimination diet version, often used for autoimmune issues.
- Tier 2 (Strict Carnivore): All meat, fish, eggs, animal fats. No dairy. No plant seasonings.
- Tier 3 (Broad Carnivore): Everything in Tier 2 plus dairy, coffee, and select seasonings. This is where most long-term carnivores land.
Pick your tier based on your goals. If you're healing, start strict. If you're maintaining, Tier 3 works for most people.
What Are the Best Meats for Carnivore?
Not all meat is created equal. Here's the ranking based on nutrient density, fat content, and how well they keep you satisfied.
| Meat | Tier | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Ribeye steak | Tier 1 | Perfect fat-to-protein ratio. The gold standard. |
| Ground beef (80/20) | Tier 1 | Cheapest quality protein. Incredibly versatile. |
| Chuck roast | Tier 1 | Budget-friendly, high fat, great slow-cooked. |
| Lamb chops/leg | Tier 1 | High in zinc, B12, and CLA. Naturally fatty. |
| Bison | Tier 1 | Leaner but packed with iron and B vitamins. Grass-fed by default. |
| NY strip | Tier 2 | Leaner than ribeye. Great flavor, solid protein. |
| Pork belly | Tier 2 | Extremely high fat. Good for energy, affordable. |
| Bacon | Tier 2 | Watch for sugar in the cure. Get uncured when possible. |
| Pork chops | Tier 2 | Decent fat content. Budget-friendly option. |
| Chicken thighs | Tier 3 | Fattier than breast but still lean for carnivore. Cheap. |
| Turkey | Tier 3 | Very lean. You'll need added fat to feel satisfied. |
The takeaway: Red meat and ruminant animals (beef, lamb, bison) sit at the top because they have the best nutrient profiles and the most satisfying fat content. Poultry works but shouldn't be your primary protein. Lean chicken breast alone won't cut it. You'll be hungry, tired, and miserable.
If you're on a budget, ground beef is your best friend. An 80/20 chub from Costco or Walmart gives you everything you need at a fraction of the steak price.
Is Seafood Allowed on Carnivore?
Absolutely. Seafood is animal food. It counts.
Some carnivore folks skip fish because they don't like it. That's fine. But if you enjoy seafood, it's a nutritional powerhouse.
| Seafood | Tier | Key Nutrients |
|---|---|---|
| Wild salmon | Tier 1 | Omega-3s, astaxanthin, vitamin D. Best fish overall. |
| Sardines (canned) | Tier 1 | Calcium (eat the bones), omega-3s, dirt cheap. |
| Mackerel | Tier 1 | Extremely high omega-3s. Great canned or fresh. |
| Oysters | Tier 1 | Highest zinc food on earth. Also loaded with B12 and copper. |
| Shrimp | Tier 2 | Low calorie, high protein. Good selenium source. |
| Cod/halibut | Tier 2 | Very lean white fish. You'll need added fat. |
| Crab/lobster | Tier 2 | Nutrient-dense but expensive. Treat, not a staple. |
| Tuna (canned) | Tier 3 | Convenient and cheap. Limit to 2-3 cans/week (mercury). |
Sardines deserve a special mention. They're one of the most underrated foods in the entire carnivore community. A can of sardines in olive oil gives you calcium, omega-3s, protein, and B12 for about two dollars. If you're trying to do carnivore on a tight budget, sardines and ground beef can carry you for weeks.
Can You Eat Eggs and Dairy?
This is where the carnivore community splits into camps. Here's the honest breakdown.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the most nutrient-complete foods in existence. The yolk contains choline, vitamin A, vitamin D, B12, selenium, and healthy fats. If you tolerate eggs, eat them. Most carnivores do.
How many? 3-6 per day is common. Some people eat a dozen. Listen to your body.
Best preparation: Scrambled in butter, fried, soft-boiled. Don't toss the yolk. That's where all the nutrition lives.
Dairy
Dairy is the most debated food in the carnivore world. Here's the reality:
- Butter and ghee: Almost universally tolerated. Very low lactose. Included on nearly every version of carnivore.
- Heavy cream: Works for most people. Great in coffee if you drink it.
- Hard aged cheeses (parmesan, cheddar, gouda): Low lactose due to aging. Many carnivores include these without issues.
- Soft cheeses and milk: Higher lactose. More likely to cause bloating, acne, and digestive problems. Test carefully.
- Sour cream and cream cheese: Moderate lactose. Some tolerate it, some don't.
The rule of thumb: If you're doing carnivore for weight loss and feel fine with dairy, include it. If you're doing it for autoimmune, gut healing, or skin issues, cut dairy completely for 30 days and see what happens. Many people discover they feel dramatically better without it.
What About Organ Meats?
Organ meats are the original multivitamin. Gram for gram, nothing on this planet matches the nutrient density of animal organs.
You don't have to eat them. Plenty of carnivores thrive on muscle meat alone. But if you want to optimize, organs are the cheat code.
| Organ | Key Nutrients | How to Eat It |
|---|---|---|
| Beef liver | Vitamin A (53,000 IU per lb), B12 (1,200% DV), folate, copper, iron | Pan-fried with butter. Mix into ground beef. Freeze and swallow raw like pills. |
| Beef heart | CoQ10, B12, iron, zinc. Highest natural source of CoQ10. | Slice thin and cook like steak. Mild, beefy flavor. Most people like it. |
| Kidney | Selenium, B12, riboflavin | Soak in cold water for 30 minutes first. Stronger flavor. Start small. |
| Bone marrow | Fat-soluble vitamins, collagen, healthy fats | Roast marrow bones at 450F for 15-20 minutes. Spread on meat like butter. |
| Tongue | Zinc, iron, B12, fatty acids | Slow-cook until tender. Peel the outer skin. Rich, fatty, delicious. |
How much do you need? Dr. Paul Saladino recommends about 1-2 servings of liver per week. That's 2-4 ounces. You don't need to eat organs every day.
If you can't stand the taste, the frozen liver pill method works. Cut raw liver into pea-sized pieces, freeze them on a tray, then swallow 5-6 pieces per day with water. No taste at all.
What Foods Should You Avoid?
This is where people get tripped up. Some "gray area" foods generate endless debates online. Here's the definitive list.
Always Avoid
- All grains: Bread, rice, pasta, oats, cereal. Zero exceptions.
- All vegetables: Yes, all of them. Broccoli, salad, peppers, everything.
- All fruits: Including berries, avocado, lemon.
- All legumes: Beans, lentils, peanuts, soy.
- Seed oils: Canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, corn oil. These are inflammatory and should be avoided on any diet, honestly.
- Sugar and sweeteners: Including honey, maple syrup, stevia, and artificial sweeteners.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia, flax. All plant foods.
- Processed meat with fillers: Check labels. Some sausages and deli meats contain sugar, dextrose, soy, and other additives.
The Gray Areas (Honest Answers)
- Coffee: It's a plant. Strict carnivore says no. But most long-term carnivores drink it without problems. If you're healing from autoimmune issues, cut it for 30 days and see. Otherwise, black coffee is probably fine.
- Salt and pepper: Salt is a mineral. It's universally accepted and necessary. Black pepper is technically a plant, but the amount you use is negligible. Most people keep it.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika are all plant-derived. Strict carnivore drops them. Broad carnivore keeps them. Your call.
- Honey: Animal-produced but mostly sugar. Most carnivore protocols exclude it. Some "animal-based" folks (Saladino's current approach) include small amounts. It's not strict carnivore.
- Bone broth: 100% carnivore. Sip it freely. Great for electrolytes and gut healing.
- Collagen supplements: Animal-derived. Accepted on carnivore.
How Much Should You Eat?
This depends on your size, activity level, and goals. But here's the general framework.
Most carnivore men eat 2-3 pounds of meat per day. Most women eat 1.5-2 pounds. Active people and athletes eat more. Sedentary people eat less.
Don't count calories. One of the biggest advantages of carnivore is that your appetite self-regulates when you eat the right foods. Eat until you're full. Stop when you're satisfied. If you're hungry again later, eat again.
That said, some people like knowing their targets. Here's a general breakdown:
| Goal | Daily Meat | Daily Protein (approx) |
|---|---|---|
| Fat loss (sedentary) | 1.5-2 lbs | 120-160g |
| Maintenance | 2-2.5 lbs | 150-200g |
| Muscle gain / active | 2.5-3.5 lbs | 200-280g |
Want a personalized breakdown based on your body and goals? Our carnivore macro calculator gives you specific protein, fat, and calorie targets in about 60 seconds. It's free, and it takes the guesswork out of portioning.
What Does a Carnivore Shopping List Look Like?
Here's the practical shopping list. This is built for a typical week, assuming one person eating about 2 pounds of meat per day.
The Weekly Essentials
- Ground beef 80/20: 5 lbs
- Ribeye or NY strip: 3-4 lbs
- Eggs: 2-3 dozen
- Butter (grass-fed if budget allows): 1 lb
- Salt (sea salt or Redmond Real Salt): 1 container
Add if Budget Allows
- Bacon (uncured, no sugar): 2 lbs
- Salmon fillets: 1-2 lbs
- Sardines (canned in olive oil or water): 4-6 cans
- Beef liver: 0.5-1 lb (freeze in portions)
- Lamb chops or ground lamb: 1-2 lbs
- Heavy cream: 1 pint
- Hard cheese (parmesan, aged cheddar): 0.5 lb
Store-Specific Tips
Costco: Best prices on ribeye (Choice grade), ground beef in 5 lb tubes, and eggs by the 5-dozen flat. Their Kirkland bacon is uncured and affordable. Rotisserie chicken in a pinch (check ingredients for additives).
Walmart: Great Value 80/20 ground beef is solid quality at the lowest price point. Their Great Value butter works fine. Check the meat markdown section for 30-50% off steaks near their sell-by date. Freeze immediately.
Local butcher: Best source for organ meats, marrow bones, and unusual cuts (tongue, oxtail, cheeks). Prices vary. Build a relationship and ask about bulk pricing.
Online (ButcherBox, Crowd Cow, US Wellness Meats): Best for grass-fed and grass-finished if that matters to you. More expensive than retail but the quality is consistent. Often run deals for first-time orders.
Budget Carnivore (Under $10/Day)
If money is tight, here's the bare-bones list that still hits all your nutritional needs:
- Ground beef 73/27 (fattiest, cheapest): 2 lbs/day
- Eggs: 4-6/day
- Salt
- Water
That's roughly $7-9 per day depending on where you live. Not glamorous. But nutritionally complete. You can eat like this for months and feel great. Add liver once a week when budget allows. It's one of the cheapest meats per pound.
The Bottom Line
The carnivore diet food list is shorter than any other diet's. That's the point. You're not agonizing over ingredient labels, counting macros across 47 food categories, or Googling whether something is "allowed."
Meat. Fish. Eggs. Animal fats. Salt. Water.
That's the foundation. Everything else, from dairy to coffee to seasonings, is a personal choice based on your goals and how your body responds.
Start strict. Eat for 30 days. Then decide what to add back. Your body will tell you what works.
If you want to figure out exactly how much to eat for your specific goals, try the free carnivore calculator. It takes 60 seconds and gives you a personalized starting point.
Now go fill that cart.
References:- Saladino P. The Carnivore Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Optimal Health by Returning to Our Ancestral Diet. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2020.
- Baker S. The Carnivore Diet. Victory Belt Publishing. 2019.
- USDA FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. fdc.nal.usda.gov. 2024.
- O'Hearn A. Can a carnivore diet provide all essential nutrients? Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2020;27(5):312-316.