Feeling bogged down by complex diets and persistent health issues like bloating or energy crashes can be incredibly frustrating. You may have tried counting calories, tracking macros, and navigating endless food rules, only to feel more confused and no closer to your goals.

This constant cycle of restriction and confusion can leave you exhausted, making it seem impossible to find a sustainable way of eating that actually makes you feel good. It’s a common story I hear in my practice.

A carnivore diet meal plan offers a radical simplification, focusing solely on nutrient-dense animal foods. In this article, I'll walk you through my clinical approach to building a simple, effective plan, from creating a food list to navigating the first 30 days. For those who prefer a structured start, tools like the carnimeat app can provide personalised plans to ease the transition.

The carnivore diet is a restrictive eating pattern that includes only animal products and excludes all plants. From my perspective, it's the ultimate elimination diet, often used by people seeking to identify food sensitivities or simplify their nutrition.

You will completely eliminate all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This is the defining characteristic of this eating pattern and the source of its simplicity.

Unlike the paleo diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, and nuts, the carnivore diet eliminates all plant foods. This makes it a more restrictive approach focused solely on animal sources for nutrition.

Others use it as a powerful elimination diet to identify potential food sensitivities that cause digestive issues, skin problems, or inflammation. The focus is on whole, unprocessed animal foods as a path to understanding one's own body.

Understanding the principles is the first step. Now, let's build the practical food list you'll use for your meal plan.

The key to a sustainable carnivore diet is variety and nutrient density. Your shopping list is simple but should be built around high-quality, fat-rich animal proteins to ensure you feel your best.

They are also packed with essential nutrients like iron, B12, and zinc. For a practical and affordable start, I often suggest focusing on versatile cuts such as 80/20 ground beef, chuck roast, or brisket.

To balance this, I recommend choosing fattier cuts like chicken thighs with the skin on or pork belly. Don't hesitate to cook them in added fats like tallow or butter to ensure you feel full and satisfied after your meal.

Excellent choices include wild-caught salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. This practice not only provides critical fats but also introduces a different profile of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D from salmon.

Organ meats like beef liver are exceptionally rich in vitamin A, B vitamins (especially B12 and folate), and minerals like copper. If you're new to organ meats, I suggest this simple method to get started:

1. Start small — Begin by purchasing a small amount of ground beef liver or pâté.
2. Mix it in — Combine a small amount, perhaps just 30 grams, of the ground liver into 500 grams of ground beef.
3. Cook as usual — The flavour of the ground beef will largely mask the liver, allowing you to get the nutrients without an overwhelming taste.

I recommend using tallow (rendered beef fat), lard (rendered pork fat), and butter for cooking or to add to leaner cuts of meat. A simple goal is to have fat be a visible, generous component of every meal you eat.

However, many people find a less restrictive version more sustainable long-term. If you include dairy, prioritise high-fat, low-lactose options like butter, ghee, and hard cheeses. For seasonings, start with only salt, then consider reintroducing simple spices like black pepper later to see how you tolerate them.

With a clear food list, creating a meal plan becomes a simple matter of assembly. Here’s a template to get you through your first week.

This isn't a rigid plan, but rather a flexible template to guide you. The goal is to eat when you're hungry and until you're full, focusing on fatty meat as the centrepiece of your meals.

The key is to eat until you are genuinely full, which often provides enough energy to last well into the afternoon without needing to snack. This helps break the habit of constant grazing.

Other great options include pan-seared ribeye steaks, a large bowl of ground beef, baked salmon fillets, or grilled lamb chops. Always consume the rendered fat along with the meat to ensure adequate energy intake.

Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs with 3 strips of bacon, cooked in butter.
Lunch: 500g of 80/20 ground beef, seasoned with salt.
Dinner: A 340g ribeye steak cooked in tallow.

This example shows two or three distinct meals, but you should always let your body's hunger signals—not the clock—dictate when and how much you eat. Many people naturally fall into a pattern of two large meals per day.

To avoid this, drink water when thirsty and be generous with high-quality salt, such as sea salt or pink salt, on all your meals. This simple step is one of the most effective ways to feel good during the initial adaptation.

As you can see, the meal plan itself is incredibly simple. This simplicity is one of the most frequently cited benefits I hear about.

While the carnivore diet is not a fit for everyone, many people I've worked with report experiencing some notable positive changes. These are often related to the diet's simplicity and elimination of common trigger foods.

It helps solve the initial pain point of 'what do I eat today?' by providing variety and clear guidance. Having features like progress trackers and beginner-friendly guides can make the transition smoother and more engaging, which is key for long-term adherence. You can learn more about how it helps structure your carnivore journey.

This frees up mental energy that was previously spent planning complex meals or tracking various dietary rules. In my experience, this is one of the most immediate and liberating benefits people notice.

Many people report consistent, steady energy without the typical mid-afternoon slump. This is because their bodies become adapted to using fat as a clean-burning and reliable fuel source.

I had a client who struggled with persistent eczema for years. After 30 days on a strict carnivore plan, her skin cleared completely. When she later reintroduced tomatoes, a nightshade vegetable, the eczema returned within a day, giving her a clear answer she'd been seeking for a decade.

If symptoms like bloating, gas, or skin issues improve, you can then reintroduce foods one by one to pinpoint specific triggers with much greater clarity.

While these benefits are compelling, it’s crucial to approach this diet with awareness. Let's discuss some important considerations for a successful start.

Every major dietary change requires an adjustment period and careful attention to your body's signals. From my clinical experience, going into this with the right expectations is key to a positive and sustainable transition.

This is a normal response that typically resolves within one to two weeks. You can ease this process by ensuring you consume enough fat, water, and salt from the very first day.

Fresh meat contains small amounts of vitamin C, and your body's requirements may be lower without carbohydrates. As for fibre, the diet contains none, and many people I work with find their digestion improves without it. Prioritise foods like beef liver and salmon to cover a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Aim for a fat intake that is at least equal to or greater than your protein intake by grams. You can achieve this with this simple checklist for each meal:

1. Choose fatty cuts — Prioritise ribeye, 80/20 ground beef, and pork belly over lean options.
2. Add extra fat — Cook with generous amounts of butter, tallow, or lard.
3. Don't drain the grease — Keep the rendered fat from cooking ground beef or bacon and consume it with your meal.

When you order, you can ask for it to be cooked in butter instead of vegetable oil. When with friends, focus on the social connection rather than making the food a central issue. A simple 'I'm not eating that right now' is usually sufficient if asked.

Afterward, you might methodically reintroduce certain well-tolerated foods to find your optimal long-term diet. For others, carnivore becomes a sustainable lifestyle. The key is to listen to your body and find what works for you.

I always advise that you consult a healthcare professional before starting if you have a pre-existing medical condition, especially kidney disease, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you experience persistent, severe symptoms during the adaptation phase, it's wise to check in with your doctor.

Ready to put this knowledge into action? Here are the simple first steps to take.

Starting the carnivore diet is straightforward. The focus is on preparation and commitment for the first 30 days to give your body time to adapt and see how you feel.

In my experience, a clean food environment makes it far easier to adhere to the plan and reset your eating habits. Out of sight truly is out of mind when you're making a big change.

Buying some items in bulk, like ground beef, can help make the diet more affordable. Focus on quality where you can, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good; just starting is the most important step.

This intuitive approach helps you reconnect with your body's natural satiety signals, which is a skill that will serve you well no matter your long-term eating style. Keep it simple, stay consistent, and pay attention.

This covers the fundamentals, but I know you might have a few more specific questions.