If you’re new to the Carnivore diet but used to eat vegetables every day, you may be one of those who ask, “Can you eat avocado on a Carnivore diet?”. Well, the strict version of the Carnivore diet excludes all plant-based foods and oils. However, if you’re new to this diet, you may need some time to get used to all the rules and gradually minimize plant foods, as the Carnivore diet looks for improvement, not perfection! So, this article will help you find ways to include avocado or avocado oil in your Carnivore diet.
Highlights
- The traditional Carnivore diet only allows animal-based foods, including meat, fish, and animal products, and excludes all plant-based foods, including vegetables and fruits like avocado.
- Flexible versions of the Carnivore diet may allow limited amounts of low-carb vegetables for beginners struggling to eliminate carbohydrates and fiber completely.
- Avocado oil is not allowed in the strict Carnivore diet due to its plant-based origin, but some variations might allow small deviations.
- The benefits of avocados include rich nutrition, healthy fats, potassium, and fiber, positive effects on heart health, improved digestion, increased satiety, and various micronutrients.
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
To see if you can eat avocado on a Carnivore diet, you first need to learn about the Carnivore diet and what it includes.
The Carnivore diet allows only animal-based foods and focuses on consuming meat, fish, and other animal products. The original or strict version of the Carnivore diet excludes all plant-based foods, including vegetables and fruits like avocado.
But more flexible versions allow limited amounts of low-carb vegetables, especially for beginners who find it hard to avoid carbohydrates and fiber completely.
Remember that you can achieve the health benefits of the Carnivore diet, including weight loss, better mental clarity, less inflammation, and relief from certain health conditions if you follow the rules.
However, if it is challenging for you at the beginning to go on the strict version and cut all carbs at once, you can try limiting your carb intake and gradually decrease them and check the results.
Learn More: What Is The Carnivore Diet? Myth vs Fact
Can You Eat Avocado on a Carnivore Diet?
Based on the definition above, can you eat avocado on a Carnivore diet? Well, the original Carnivore diet says no to all plant-based foods, but there are more flexible versions that may accept minimal carbs coming from veggies and fruits like avocados.
If you’re eating avocados for their nutrients, the thing is that you don’t necessarily need them, as your body can do without the vitamins coming from plant-based foods.
But if it’s a food you like and cannot quit all at once, it’s up to you. You can have avocados, but try to decrease the amounts gradually and see how your body reacts.
What About Avocado Oil on a Carnivore Diet?
The original Carnivore diet is known for its strict focus on animal-based foods and excluding plant-based products. Since avocado oil comes from avocados, which are a plant source, it’s not allowed in the original Carnivore diet.
However, some versions of the Carnivore diet allow for small deviations or personalized modifications. So, if you can’t avoid avocado oil, you can use it in small amounts, but remember that it may hinder the Carnivore diet results.
Learn More: Can I Use Coconut Oil on a Carnivore Diet?
How Many Avocados Can I Eat on Carnivore?
Since you need to minimize the consumption of plant-based foods on a Carnivore diet, you can’t eat any avocados on the strict version of this diet.
However, if you are following a more flexible or modified version of the Carnivore diet that allows for occasional deviations or if you are new to the Carnivore diet, you can eat small amounts of avocado.
In such cases, you must monitor your body’s responses and reactions and check whether they meet your health and fitness goals.
Learn More: How to Start a Carnivore Diet? When Should I Start? [Expert Guide]
How to Eat Avocado on a Carnivore Diet?
If you’re a beginner on the Carnivore diet and cannot avoid your favorite foods completely and need to eat avocados, you’d better consider the following tips.
- Limit Avocados: If you decide to eat avocados, try to eat them in small amounts to minimize their impact.
- Choose Ripe Avocados: When buying avocados, pick the ripe ones to receive the most flavor and nutritional value.
- Avoid Seasoning: Keep the preparation simple and avoid added salt or seasoning.
- Monitor Your Body's Reactions: Pay attention to how your body responds to the new situation and limiting avocados.
- Set Clear Goals: Before adding avocados or any other plant foods to your Carnivore diet, set clear goals and stick to the rules. It may take some time for you to adapt to the new situation, but if you seek Carnivore diet results, you need to accept its rules.
- Consult a Professional: Before starting a Carnivore diet, consult a healthcare specialist and explain your goals and needs to choose the best dietary approach.
The Benefits of Having Avocado on a Carnivore Diet
Adding avocados to a Carnivore diet is generally against the rules of the original Carnivore diet, but some individuals do so for some reasons. Maybe they try to meet special needs or simply can’t avoid plant-based foods all at once. Anyhow, here are some of the benefits of avocados.
Nutrition
Avocados include different vitamins and minerals. They are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, potassium, folate, vitamins K and E, and fiber.
Heart Health
The monounsaturated fats in avocados are good for heart health and can positively affect cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health (source).
Fiber
Avocados are a good source of multifunctional prebiotic and dietary fiber, which is claimed to improve healthy digestion and gut health (source).
Weight Management
Avocado can help decrease the risk of overweightness or obesity, and reduce visceral fat tissue in overweight or obese women (source).
Satiety
The fats and fiber found in avocados can increase satiety and decrease overeating.
Healthy Fats
Avocados have a 6 to 1 unsaturated to saturated fat ratio similar to olive oil (source).
Cognitive Function
Avocados can have positive effects on cognitive function in older adults and even in young to middle age overweight or obese adults (source).
Micronutrients
Different micronutrients and antioxidants found in avocados can improve skin health, immune function, and general health. Consuming avocados can improve the diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower the risk of metabolic syndrome (source).
Learn More: How to Get Vitamin C on a Carnivore Diet? [Best Meat to Avoid Scurvy]
Avocado Nutrition
Avocados have a creamy texture and rich flavor, with various nutritional value.
Nutrition per 100 grams (a medium-sized avocado):
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Total Fat: 14.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 9.8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 8.5 g
- Dietary Fiber: 6.7 g
- Sugars: 0.2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Vitamin K: 21 mcg (26% of DRI)
- Vitamin E: 2.1 mcg (14% of DRI)
- Vitamin C: 10 mcg (12% of DRI)
- Potassium: 485 mcg (10% of DRI)
- Vitamin B6: 0.3 mcg (14% of DRI)
- Folate: 81 mcg (20% of DRI)
- Magnesium: 29 mg (8% of DRI)
Summary
Can you eat avocado on a Carnivore diet? Well, as we learned in this article, avocados are not allowed in the original Carnivore diet due to being plant-based.
However, if you’re a beginner and cannot quit plant-based products like avocados, you can eat them in small amounts. But you’d better decrease your consumption gradually to reach the results of the Carnivore diet.
