How Much Fat Should You be Eating On a Carnivore Diet? – Delighted to Meat You (2024)

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How Much Fat Should You be Eating On a Carnivore Diet?

  • Dr Jennifer Geissert
  • Updated:May 7, 2023

How Much Fat Should You be Eating On a Carnivore Diet? – Delighted to Meat You (1)

The carnivore diet is simple. Just eat meat. And even eggs and dairy if you can tolerate them. That’s it. But some people feel overwhelmed without a bit more guidance than that, and they often ask specific questions such as “How much fat should I eat?” Or sometimes it’s “How much protein should I eat?” or “How many calories should I eat?” I hope to be able to answer all those questions for you today.

After eating this way for over a year myself, I finally have an answer besides “it depends.” Here’s what I tell people.

For those that insist on tracking this type of thing, the simplest advice for starting out is to eat about 1 gram of fat and 1 gram of protein per pound of desired body weight. If your desired body weight is more than 50 pounds away from your current weight then I don’t suggest using your desired body weight. Use a goal weight that is no more than 50 pounds away from where you are right now.

Keep in mind that there are 9 calories in a gram of fat and only 4 calories in a gram of protein so a 1:1 ratio of fat to protein will mean that about 70% of your calories are coming from fat. For example, if you eat 150 grams of fat and 150 grams of protein per day, then you’ll be getting just under 2000 calories and 69% of those calories are from fat.

This is a really common macro percentage on this diet. Most carnivores who eat fatty animal foods naturally end up getting about 70% of their calories from fat unless they’re adding A LOT of additional fats like butter and tallow or they’re choosing really lean meats like chicken breast and seafood.

Many people feel great at around 70% fat and they never need to change anything. They may not even be tracking. They simply eat and enjoy their food. But depending on YOUR goals, you may want to tweak your macros a little.

Some carnivores go as high as to get 80-90% of their calories from fat. This is typically most beneficial if you have significant healing to do (like hormonal problems and autoimmune conditions), or you’re trying to stay in a higher level of ketosis. People with poor insulin sensitivity, reproductive issues like PCOS or amenorrhea, or those with mental health issues often thrive on the high ketone levels provided by a super high-fat carnivore diet.

You won’t be able to get this much fat without trying. You’ll have to choose particularly fatty cuts of meat such as 73/27 ground beef, short ribs, and pork belly, and you’ll probably also have to eat quite a bit of pure animal fats like butter, tallow, or fat trimmings. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious. But it’s not always easy for everyone to do.

On the other hand, if you start out at 70% fat, but find that you’re having issues like diarrhea or you’re having difficulty reaching your body composition goals then decreasing your fat percentage may be the best move. It’s not uncommon for carnivores to decrease their fat to about 60%, and find that that’s where they feel their best. In order to get fat this low, you’ll likely have to choose some leaner carnivore options such as chicken, seafood, lean beef, and egg whites. You’ll still be eating plenty of fat to support your hormones, but you may find that you’re not quite as satiated. Or you may find it to be super easy and nourishing. We’re all a little different after all.

Because of the calorie difference between fat and protein, it can be a little complicated to determine your fat percentage. But don’t worry, I’ve got you!

I actually built a calculator just for you, and you can use it for free! Go to https://www.delightedtomeatyou.com/calculator to plug in your macros and find out exactly what percentage of fat you are eating on a carnivore diet. Over there, I’ll give you more tips about how and why you might tweak things.

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How Much Fat Should You be Eating On a Carnivore Diet? – Delighted to Meat You (2024)

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How Much Fat Should You be Eating On a Carnivore Diet? – Delighted to Meat You? ›

So, there you have it: the breakdown of carnivore diet macro ratios. In summary, around 70–80% fats, around 20–30% protein, and keep your carbs low for roughly 0–10%.

How much fat should you eat on carnivore? ›

Carnivore diet macros align with standard keto macros: 70-80% fat, 15-20% protein, and 0-10% carbs. On carnivore, you don't need to worry about watching your carb intake unless you're eating a lot of dairy.

What is the ideal fat to protein ratio for carnivore? ›

A common approach for those on a carnivore diet is to target a fat to protein ratio by calories—often around 2:1 or 3:1. This essentially means consuming double or triple the amount of calories from fat as from protein.

What happens if you eat too much fat on the carnivore diet? ›

Given that the carnivore diet consists solely of animal foods, it can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat may raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

What is the best fat percentage for carnivore diet ground beef? ›

When selecting ground beef for the carnivore diet, opt for high-quality cuts such as 80% lean and 20% fat or higher. The fat content is crucial for providing ample calories and necessary nutrients while on this diet.

What is the 80 20 rule for carnivore diet? ›

Some carnivore enthusiasts even go for an 80/20 carnivore diet. This means 80% fat and 20% protein — no carbs at all. This fat-to-protein ratio carnivore diet is typically for experienced people on a carnivore diet.

How many grams of fat per day? ›

So if you're following a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, your target range for total fat is 44 to 78 grams a day. Of that, saturated fat should make up no more than 22 grams. To monitor the fat in your diet, simply add up the fat grams from the foods you ate during the day.

What is the best fat to meat ratio? ›

And on this, experts concur — the most popular and flavorful ratio of lean to fat comes in at 80/20. Paul Vaccari, owner of New York City's Piccinini Brothers, which sells to restaurants as well as individuals, says his most popular mixture for hamburgers is an 80/20 ground chuck.

How do you calculate fat on a carnivore diet? ›

Fat should be considered the most important Carnivore macro for weight loss as it's the main energy source in the Carnivore Diet. You'll need about 0.8g-1g of fat per 1lb of your body weight.

What is the best fat to cook with on a carnivore diet? ›

Tallow and lard: Ideal for high-heat cooking
  • Ideal for high-heat cooking with smoke points of 400-420°F; tallow contains 50-55% saturated, 40% monounsaturated, and <3% polyunsaturated fats.
  • Lard (pork fat): Render at 250°F (121°C) for 2 hours to maximize flavor and shelf life by removing water 6.
Apr 30, 2024

What is Joe Rogan's carnivore diet? ›

Joe Rogan's daily intake, while on the Carnivore Diet, primarily consisted of meat. He often mentioned consuming elk, bison, and other game meats, along with more traditional meats like beef. Organ meats, particularly liver, were also a part of his diet.

How do you maximize fat loss on a carnivore diet? ›

How to Lose Weight on the Carnivore Diet: Additional Tips to Help You Shed Some Fat Fast
  1. Get a solid 8 hours of sleep each night. ...
  2. Increase your protein intake slightly if you're not seeing results. ...
  3. Add some intermittent fasting into your routine. ...
  4. Start incorporating more physical activity into your life.
Jan 12, 2023

How many calories should a carnivore eat a day? ›

Note: Some people on the carnivore diet choose to incorporate fruit and honey, though many do not. Carnivore diet proponents aren't usually concerned about counting calories. However, you should aim to meet your daily caloric needs, which range between 1,600 to 2,200 for women and 2,000 to 3,200 for men.

How much protein and fat should I eat on a carnivore diet? ›

The Carnivore diet macros ratio is about 50 to 75 percent fat, 20 to 35 percent protein, and 0 to 5 percent carbs.

What happens if you eat carbs on a carnivore diet? ›

Do the carnivore diet and carbohydrates mix well? Digestion problems can arise if you eat carbohydrates on the carnivore diet. This can result from a spike in blood sugar, which can cause heartburn, bloating, or nausea, affecting how food is digested.

Is carnivore a high fat diet? ›

Animal-based diets are high in saturated fat, which can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. That's the unhealthy kind of cholesterol that increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. And processed meats, which the diet allows, are high in salt, which can raise blood pressure.

How much animal fat should I eat per day? ›

AHA Recommendation. The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That's about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.

How much fat should be in meat? ›

The point at which fat stops being an asset (in terms of taste) and starts becoming a liability (in terms of health) must also be considered. We conclude that the maximum amount of fat that should be present in cuts of meat to ensure nutritional merit is 7.3 percent (uncooked basis).

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