If you’ve been scrolling through social media in recent months and your algorithm is anything like mine, you’ve likely seen a new trend emerging: Animal-Based Diets. So, what exactly is the deal with this Animal-Based Diet? As a Registered Dietitian, I’m here to share my insights on this current trend. Let’s dive in.
What is the Animal-Based Diet?
Frankly, it’s not a defined diet; you’ll find various interpretations of what it entails from different sources. Broadly, this diet emphasizes animal-based foods, including meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. Stricter versions focus on sourcing meat exclusively from ruminant, grass-fed animals like cows or bison, while avoiding meat from monogastric animals like pigs or chickens.
This diet excludes vegetables and grains; however, fruit appears to be a loophole (last I checked, fruit doesn’t come from animals) and is included in most variations. Additionally, many versions emphasize organ meat and strongly discourage the consumption of seed oils and sugar, with honey being an exception.
I believe that each of us is unique and that our food patterns can reflect this. Ultimately, you have the freedom to choose what feels best for your body. However, I also believe in science and in protecting consumers from misleading health claims. Here are my takeaways on the highlights and downfalls of this diet.
Highlights:
The animal based diet does have a strong focus on consuming adequate protein and fats. Protein is vital for nutrition as it provides essential amino acids and plays a key role in many important bodily functions, including building and repairing muscles and bones. Animal proteins also are more bioavailable compared to plant based proteins.
Fats are crucial in our diet for various reasons, such as fat-soluble vitamin absorption and hormone synthesis. Most interpretations of this diet focus on animal based fat sources like butter, ghee, and tallow. Compared to the low-fat craze of the 90s-00s, it is refreshing to see fats included, because aside from the metabolic functions of fat, fat plays a huge role in the satisfaction and satiety we get from eating.
This diet does include carbohydrates unlike another popular animal-centric diet, the ketogenic (keto) diet, through sources like fruit, honey, and dairy products. Carbohydrates are essential for energy, especially if you’re an endurance athlete, where your carbohydrate demands can be significant.
Downfalls:
While, as noted above, this diet does include carbohydrates, it is not an abundant source. An influential MD turned influencer (whose macronutrient reference page has since been taken down) suggests that a low-active person should consume around 0.7 g/lb (1.54 g/kg) of carbohydrates, while a very active person should aim for only 1.2 g/lb (2.64 g/kg). In contrast the American College of Sports Medicine’s guidelines for carbohydrate consumption for athletes has a reference range of carbohydrates at 2.7-4.5 g/lb (6-10g/kg) body weight depending on activity level. The Animal-Based Diet provides only about 25% of this reference range, leaving endurance athletes at a significant deficit regarding carbohydrates necessary for performance.
Carbohydrates are a primary source of fiber, and in a diet where fruit is essentially the sole source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber intake may be minimal. Most of us know that fiber is important for maintaining regular bowel patterns; however, in recent years, increasing research on the gut microbiome has highlighted how vital fiber is as a prebiotic to nourish our gut microbiota. The average recommended fiber intake is about 25–30 grams. For reference, a standard serving size of fruit contains about 3 grams of fiber, meaning that on this diet, you might need to eat 8–10 bananas or apples to meet that fiber goal. Conversely, 3 tablespoons of chia seeds and one cup of beans contain approximately 10 and 14 grams of fiber respectively—both of which are not "allowed" on this diet.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I believe in the freedom of choice and doing what feels best for your body. However, this diet is restrictive, and simply removes whole food groups that can be part of someone's cultural identity, preferences, or even available food sources. Many cultures incorporate foods like rice and vegetables as staples in their meals, which are both excluded in this diet despite being a part of healthy populations diets historically. Just take a look at the famous Blue Zones or research the countries with the oldest populations; you’ll find cultures that include these foods.
Moreover, animal-based protein can be expensive. Relying primarily on animal protein sources for calories is a luxury not everyone can afford. Ignoring this fact while claiming it’s the best way to eat is, at best, ignorant.
Take-Away:
While this diet does include all macronutrient groups, it remains a restrictive diet. If you have a history of disordered eating, may present as another fad diet masquerading as a form of restriction. For endurance athletes, this diet falls significantly short in carbohydrates, which are vital for performance.
And quite simply, if you don’t like eating in this type of way - please don’t let any influencer shame you into following it.
