Complete Carnivore Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid

The carnivore diet food list is simple: eat foods from animals, avoid foods from plants. This comprehensive reference organizes every food into four tiers based on how universally accepted they are in the carnivore community. Tier 1 foods are always acceptable. Tier 2 foods are included by most people. Tier 3 foods are debated. Tier 4 includes everything that is not carnivore. Use this as your definitive shopping and meal planning reference.

Tier 1: Always Acceptable (The Foundation)

These foods are universally accepted across every version of the carnivore diet, from the strictest lion diet to the most relaxed approach. Build your diet around these.

Ruminant Meats

Ruminant animals (cattle, sheep, bison, deer, elk) are the gold standard of carnivore nutrition. Their meat is nutrient-dense, well-tolerated, and has the lowest allergenic potential of any food category.

• Beef — ribeye, NY strip, sirloin, filet mignon, chuck roast, brisket, short ribs, flank steak, skirt steak, ground beef (80/20 or fattier)
• Lamb — leg of lamb, lamb chops, rack of lamb, ground lamb, lamb shanks
• Bison — steaks, ground bison, bison roast
• Venison — steaks, ground venison, roasts
• Elk — steaks, ground elk, roasts
• Goat — chops, roasts, ground

For a detailed ranking of the best options, see our best meats for carnivore diet guide.

Animal Fats

Fat is your primary fuel on carnivore. These fats are ideal for cooking and adding calories:

• Beef tallow — rendered beef fat, excellent for high-heat cooking
• Lard — rendered pork fat, versatile cooking fat
• Duck fat — flavorful cooking fat
• Bone marrow — roasted from bones, incredibly nutrient-dense
• Suet — raw beef kidney fat, can be rendered into tallow

Salt and Water

• Salt — sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, Redmond Real Salt, Celtic sea salt. Essential for electrolyte balance. Use liberally.
• Water — still water is the primary beverage. Mineral water and sparkling water are also acceptable.

Bone Broth

• Beef bone broth — homemade or store-bought (check ingredients)
• Chicken bone broth — same as above
• Any animal bone broth — rich in minerals, collagen, and electrolytes

Bone broth is one of the most valuable foods during adaptation and long-term.

Tier 2: Generally Included (Standard Carnivore)

These foods are included by most carnivore dieters following a standard (not lion diet) approach. They are well-tolerated by the majority of people.

Pork

• Pork belly — extremely fatty, excellent for carnivore
• Bacon — check for sugar-free varieties; many brands add sugar or maple
• Pork chops — bone-in for more fat
• Pork shoulder/butt — great for slow cooking
• Ham — check ingredients for sugar and additives
• Ground pork — versatile and affordable
• Pork ribs — spare ribs and baby back ribs
• Pork rinds — check ingredients; some brands add plant-based seasonings

Poultry

• Chicken thighs — skin-on, bone-in for maximum fat
• Chicken wings — naturally fatty with skin
• Chicken drumsticks — affordable and flavorful
• Whole chicken — roasted with skin
• Turkey — thighs and drumsticks preferred over breast
• Duck — whole duck, duck breast (skin-on), duck legs
• Goose — rich and fatty

Note: Chicken and turkey are leaner than ruminant meats. Always choose dark meat with skin over breast meat when possible.

Fish and Seafood

• Salmon — wild-caught preferred; one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. See our salmon guide.
• Sardines — canned in water or olive oil; packed with omega-3s and calcium
• Mackerel — fatty, affordable, nutrient-dense
• Tuna — fresh steaks or canned (limit due to mercury in large species)
• Cod — mild, lean; add butter for fat
• Shrimp — a great carnivore option
• Crab, lobster — naturally carnivore-friendly
• Oysters — extremely nutrient-dense (high in zinc)
• Mussels, clams — affordable shellfish rich in B12 and iron
• Scallops — mild flavor, versatile

Read our complete guide on fish on the carnivore diet.

Eggs

• Chicken eggs — the most versatile carnivore food
• Duck eggs — richer, larger, higher in nutrients
• Quail eggs — smaller, mild flavor
• Any bird eggs — all are carnivore-approved

Eggs are nutritional powerhouses. A whole egg provides complete protein, choline, vitamin D, B12, and fat-soluble vitamins. Eat the yolk — that is where the nutrition lives.

Butter and Ghee

• Butter — salted or unsalted, from grass-fed cows if available
• Ghee — clarified butter with milk solids removed; tolerated by most dairy-sensitive people

Butter is one of the most important foods on carnivore for cooking, adding fat to leaner meats, and making meals satisfying.

Organ Meats

• Beef liver — the most nutrient-dense food on earth. See our beef liver guide.
• Beef heart — tastes similar to muscle meat, richest source of CoQ10
• Beef kidney — high in selenium and B12
• Beef tongue — fatty, tender, and delicious
• Sweetbreads (thymus) — mild, creamy texture
• Bone marrow — rich, buttery, nutrient-dense
• Liver from any animal — chicken liver, lamb liver, pork liver

Learn everything about incorporating organ meats on the carnivore diet.

Tier 3: Some People Include (Relaxed Carnivore)

These foods are debated in the carnivore community. They are technically animal-derived or well-tolerated by many, but not universally accepted. Try them after your initial 30-day adaptation if desired.

Dairy

• Hard aged cheeses — cheddar, parmesan, gouda, gruyere (lower lactose)
• Soft cheeses — brie, camembert, cream cheese
• Heavy cream — for cooking or coffee
• Sour cream — check for additives
• Full-fat yogurt — some include it; contains probiotics
• Raw milk — if available and tolerated

Cheese on the carnivore diet is a personal choice. Dairy is a common inflammatory trigger. If you suspect dairy sensitivity, eliminate it for 30 days and reintroduce to test.

Beverages

• Coffee — black only; technically a plant product but widely consumed by carnivore dieters. See our coffee guide.
• Tea — herbal or regular; same debate as coffee
• Sparkling water — plain, no flavors or sweeteners

Seasonings (Beyond Salt)

• Black pepper — the most commonly included non-salt seasoning
• Garlic powder — some relaxed carnivore dieters use minimal amounts
• Hot sauce — check ingredients for sugar and plant-based additives

Read about spices on the carnivore diet for a thorough breakdown.

Other

• Collagen powder — animal-derived, useful for those who want extra collagen without cooking bones
• Desiccated organ supplements — freeze-dried liver, heart, or multi-organ capsules for those who dislike eating organs

Tier 4: Not Carnivore (Avoid)

Everything in this tier is excluded from the carnivore diet. This is not a judgment about whether these foods are “bad” in general — it is simply that they are not animal foods and therefore not part of this dietary approach.

Vegetables (All)

Broccoli, spinach, kale, cauliflower, peppers, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, mushrooms, asparagus — all excluded.

Fruits (All)

Berries, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, mangoes, avocados, lemons, limes, melons, pears, peaches — all excluded. (Avocado is a fruit, not a vegetable, and is excluded.) For the animal-based approach that includes some fruit, see our comparison guide.

Grains and Starches (All)

Bread, pasta, rice, oats, quinoa, corn, barley, wheat, tortillas, crackers — all excluded.

Legumes (All)

Beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, soy products (tofu, tempeh, soy sauce) — all excluded.

Nuts and Seeds (All)

Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds — all excluded.

Oils (Plant-Derived)

Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, peanut oil — all excluded. Use animal fats (tallow, lard, butter, ghee, duck fat) instead.

Sweeteners (All)

Sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, aspartame, sucralose — all excluded. (Honey is included on the animal-based approach but not strict carnivore.)

Processed Foods (All)

Chips, crackers, protein bars, meal replacement shakes, candy, baked goods, frozen meals, fast food — all excluded.

Beverages

Juice, soda, diet soda, beer, wine, spirits, milk alternatives (almond milk, oat milk), energy drinks, sports drinks — all excluded.

Condiments and Sauces

Ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise (contains plant oil), BBQ sauce, salad dressings, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce — all excluded.

How to Use This Food List

If you are just starting: Stick to Tier 1 and Tier 2 foods for your first 30 days. This gives you the cleanest carnivore experience and allows for proper adaptation. Build your meal plan around ground beef, steaks, eggs, butter, and salt.

If you are doing an elimination protocol: Use only Tier 1 foods (or strictly the lion diet — beef, salt, water) for 30 to 90 days before adding back Tier 2 foods one at a time.

If you are maintaining long-term: Most long-term carnivore dieters eat freely from Tiers 1 and 2, selectively from Tier 3 based on personal tolerance, and avoid Tier 4 entirely.

Shopping tip: Print this food list and take it to the grocery store. Your shopping becomes remarkably simple when you only visit the meat counter, egg section, and butter aisle. For a weekly shopping framework, see our carnivore diet meal plan.

For a comprehensive nutrition reference on the carnivore diet, visit our carnivore diet nutrition hub.