Is animal-based better than strict carnivore?

Neither is universally better. Strict carnivore works best as an elimination protocol and for people with autoimmune conditions, severe food sensitivities, or who thrive on simplicity. Animal-based suits people who have completed an elimination phase, tolerate fruit and honey well, want athletic performance carbs, or prefer more dietary variety. Many people start strict and transition to animal-based over time.

Can you eat fruit on the carnivore diet?

On a strict carnivore diet, no — fruit is a plant food and is excluded. On an animal-based diet, yes — fruits like berries, citrus, and tropical fruits are included as carbohydrate sources. If you want to include fruit, you are following an animal-based approach rather than a true carnivore diet. Some people use carnivore as an elimination phase and later add fruit back as part of an animal-based transition.

Animal-Based Diet vs Carnivore: What’s the Difference?

Q: What is the animal-based diet?

The animal-based diet, created by Paul Saladino MD, centers on animal foods but adds select plant foods considered low in toxins — primarily fruit, honey, and raw dairy. It emphasizes nutrient density from organs and meat while including carbohydrates from 'least toxic' plant sources. It is not a carnivore diet technically, but shares the same foundation of prioritizing animal nutrition.

The key difference is that carnivore eliminates all plant foods while animal-based includes select plants — primarily fruit, honey, and raw dairy alongside meat and organs. Strict carnivore is an elimination protocol that removes every non-animal food. The animal-based diet, created by Paul Saladino MD, keeps animal foods as the foundation but adds back plant foods he considers low in defense chemicals. Both prioritize animal nutrition, but they differ significantly in food variety, carbohydrate content, and who they suit best.

TL;DR: Carnivore = only animal foods (meat, eggs, animal fats). Animal-based = animal foods + fruit, honey, and raw dairy. Carnivore is stricter and better for elimination. Animal-based offers more variety and carbs. Many people start carnivore, then transition to animal-based after identifying their tolerances.

What Is the Animal-Based Diet?

Paul Saladino, a physician and author of “The Carnivore Code,” developed the animal-based framework after years of following strict carnivore himself. His position evolved: while he maintained that animal foods should be the nutritional foundation, he concluded that certain plant foods — specifically those designed by nature to be eaten (fruits) rather than plants defending themselves with toxins (seeds, leaves, roots) — could be beneficial additions.

The animal-based diet includes:

Animal foods (the foundation):

All meats, especially ruminant (beef, lamb, bison)
Organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) — heavily emphasized
Fish and shellfish
Eggs
Animal fats (tallow, lard, butter, ghee)

Select plant additions:

Fruit — berries, citrus, tropical fruits, apples, stone fruits
Honey — raw, unprocessed
Raw dairy — raw milk, raw cheese, raw cream (if tolerated)
Squash — some versions include low-toxin squash

Still excluded:

Grains and legumes
Nuts and seeds
Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables
Seed oils and processed foods
Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners

The logic is based on plant defense chemistry. Seeds, leaves, and roots contain high concentrations of defense chemicals (lectins, oxalates, phytates, goitrogens) because the plant does not want those parts eaten. Fruit, by contrast, is designed to be consumed — the plant benefits from animals eating fruit and dispersing seeds.

How Do the Diets Compare Side by Side?

Aspect	Strict Carnivore	Animal-Based
Carbohydrates	Near zero	50-150g+ daily from fruit and honey
Food variety	Limited to animal foods	Moderate — animals + fruit + honey
Ketosis	Yes, consistently	Variable — may exit ketosis with fruit
Elimination power	Maximum	Moderate — fruit and dairy can trigger
Simplicity	Very simple	More planning required
Social eating	Difficult	Slightly easier with fruit included
Athletic performance	Adapts over 6-12 weeks	Carbs available for glycolytic efforts
Organ emphasis	Recommended	Strongly emphasized
Cost	Moderate	Higher (quality fruit + raw dairy)
Nutrient density	High from animal foods	Very high with organs + fruit

Who Should Choose Strict Carnivore?

Strict carnivore is the better choice if you:

Need an elimination protocol. If you have autoimmune conditions, chronic inflammation, unresolved digestive issues, or suspected food sensitivities, starting with strict carnivore (or even the lion diet) gives you the cleanest possible baseline. You cannot identify food triggers if you are still eating multiple food categories.

Thrive on simplicity. Some people find freedom in fewer choices. Strict carnivore removes all food decisions — you eat meat, eggs, and animal fats. There is no temptation to overeat fruit, no need to source raw dairy, no questions about which plants are “safe.” Read about the complete rules for this approach.

Are managing sugar or carbohydrate addiction. Fruit and honey, while natural, still trigger insulin and dopamine responses. For people who struggle with carbohydrate cravings or have a history of disordered eating around sweet foods, strict carnivore provides a cleaner break.

Want maximum autophagy and ketosis benefits. Staying in consistent ketosis supports autophagy (cellular cleanup), which some people prioritize for anti-aging or neurological benefits. Adding fruit and honey disrupts sustained ketosis.

Who Should Choose Animal-Based?

The animal-based approach works well if you:

Have already completed an elimination phase. If you have done 30 to 90 days of strict carnivore, identified your triggers, and want to expand your diet thoughtfully, animal-based provides a structured framework for adding foods back. This is the most common transition path.

Are a high-performance athlete. While carnivore athletes adapt over time, some sports — particularly high-intensity glycolytic activities like CrossFit, sprinting, or competitive team sports — benefit from some dietary carbohydrate. Fruit and honey provide that without the inflammatory load of grains.

Tolerate fruit and dairy well. Some people feel genuinely better with some carbohydrates. If you have tested fruit and honey during reintroduction and experienced no negative symptoms, including them can improve quality of life and dietary satisfaction.

Want to include raw dairy. If you tolerate raw dairy (many people who react to pasteurized dairy do fine with raw), the animal-based framework makes this a natural addition. Raw dairy provides beneficial bacteria, enzymes, and additional fat-soluble vitamins.

Are concerned about long-term micronutrient variety. While strict carnivore provides excellent nutrition — especially with organ meats — some people feel more comfortable adding fruit for vitamin C, potassium, and phytonutrients.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Each?

Strict Carnivore — Pros

Maximum elimination power for identifying food sensitivities
Simplest possible food decisions
Consistent ketosis for metabolic benefits
Strong appetite regulation without carb-driven hunger
Well-documented health benefits

Strict Carnivore — Cons

Limited food variety can be socially isolating
Athletic performance may dip during adaptation
Some people feel low-energy without any carbohydrates long-term
Restrictive nature can be psychologically challenging

Animal-Based — Pros

More dietary variety and flexibility
Carbohydrates available for athletic performance
Easier social eating with fruit included
Higher overall micronutrient diversity
More sustainable for many people long-term

Animal-Based — Cons

Fruit and honey can reignite sugar cravings in some people
Raw dairy is expensive and difficult to source in many areas
More complex food decisions than strict carnivore
Not a true elimination diet — harder to identify triggers
May prevent ketosis for those who want it

Can You Transition Between Them?

Absolutely, and this is the most common approach:

Path 1: Carnivore First, Then Animal-Based

Start with 30 to 90 days of strict carnivore to establish your baseline and allow adaptation. Then systematically add animal-based foods one at a time:

Start with small amounts of berries (lowest sugar fruit)
Add raw honey (one tablespoon daily)
Introduce other fruits (banana, mango, citrus)
Try raw dairy if available (start with butter, then cheese, then milk)

Monitor your body’s response to each addition for 5 to 7 days before adding the next. This way, you know exactly which foods work for you and which do not.

Path 2: Animal-Based First, Then Strict Carnivore

Some people start animal-based and later tighten to strict carnivore when they want to troubleshoot persistent symptoms. Removing fruit, honey, and dairy for 30 days while keeping the meat foundation can reveal whether those additions were causing subtle issues.

Path 3: Seasonal Cycling

Some long-term practitioners cycle between approaches seasonally — stricter in winter (aligning with ancestral food availability patterns) and more animal-based in summer when fruit is abundant and fresh. There are no rules requiring you to pick one and stay forever.

How Does Honey Fit Into the Picture?

Honey is one of the most debated additions in the carnivore-adjacent world. On strict carnivore, honey is excluded because it is not an animal food (it is processed plant nectar). On animal-based, honey is embraced as a natural carbohydrate source.

Saladino argues that honey has been consumed by humans for tens of thousands of years and contains unique compounds (enzymes, pollen, propolis) that may benefit health. It also provides readily available glucose for athletic performance and thyroid function.

The practical reality: honey is a concentrated sugar source. If you have a history of sugar dependency, including honey can reignite cravings. If you tolerate it well and use it strategically (pre-workout, post-workout, or in small daily amounts), it can be a useful addition.

Which Approach Gets Better Results?

Results depend entirely on your goals:

For autoimmune conditions: Strict carnivore (or lion diet) consistently produces the best outcomes because it eliminates the most potential triggers.

For weight loss: Both work well. Strict carnivore often produces faster initial results due to ketosis and strong appetite suppression. Animal-based can be equally effective if total food intake remains appropriate.

For athletic performance: Animal-based has an edge for high-intensity sports due to available carbohydrates. Strict carnivore works well for endurance and strength sports after full adaptation.

For long-term sustainability: This is individual. Some people eat strict carnivore for years happily. Others need the variety of animal-based. The best approach is the one you will actually maintain.

For simplicity: Strict carnivore wins decisively. Fewer foods means fewer decisions, less shopping complexity, and no temptation to overeat on sweet foods. See our carnivore meal plan for how simple daily eating can be.

The honest answer is that both approaches are dramatically healthier than a standard processed food diet. Whether you eat strict carnivore or animal-based, you have eliminated seed oils, refined grains, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients — which is where the majority of health benefits come from.

For more educational content on the carnivore lifestyle, visit our complete carnivore diet guide.

Animal-Based Diet vs Carnivore: What's the Difference?