Understanding the Carnivore Diet and Macro Needs
The carnivore diet, sometimes referred to as the all-meat or zero-carb diet, has risen in popularity over the last few years. This extreme diet involves eating only animal foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy while avoiding all carbohydrate sources.
There are many claimed benefits to this diet, including weight loss, reduced inflammation, and improvement in digestive issues. However, the diet is highly restrictive and controversial among health professionals.
Who Might Follow a Carnivore Diet?
People who choose to follow diets like the carnivore approach typically have certain goals in mind, including:
- Losing weight
- Reducing inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases
- Seeking nutrient density
- Improving digestive health
Additionally, people looking for simple straightforward dietary rules often gravitate towards restrictive diets like this one.
Understanding Carnivore Diet Macro Needs
When following the carnivore way of eating, your macronutrient intake will come entirely from animal foods. However, balancing your daily protein, fat, and calorie needs takes a bit more effort without the use of carbohydrate-containing foods.
Thats where a handy carnivore macro calculator can come in to help determine your optimal intake needs based on factors like your height, weight goals, activity levels, and more.
How to Use a Carnivore Macro Calculator
Using an online carnivore macro calculator only takes a minute. Youll input details like:
- Gender
- Age
- Height
- Current weight
- Goal weight
- Activity level
The calculator will use those details to provide your personalized daily macro goals for calories, protein, fat, and net carbs while following a carnivore template.
Carnivore Protein Needs
Protein is vital on the carnivore diet, as protein foods will make up the bulk of your calories and nutrients. Expect your protein needs to be around 1.5-2.0 grams per kilogram of your goal body weight per day.
Meeting your high-protein carnivore goals promotes:
- Preserving and building muscle mass
- Supporting metabolic rate and weight loss
- Controlling hunger between meals
- Providing necessary amino acids
Carnivore Fat Needs
While protein dominates, sufficient dietary fat is also essential on a zero-carb carnivore style of eating. Youll need ample fat to:
- Provide the bulk of your calories
- Help absorb fat-soluble vitamins
- Keep hormones balanced
- Prevent excessive lean tissue breakdown
Expect your fat macro goals to come out to around 60-80% of total calorie needs.
Carnivore Carb Targets
The carnivore diet eliminates all carbohydrate-containing foods, including grains, legumes, fruits, starchy veggies, and sweeteners. However, some small amounts of carbs still manage to make it into the diet, primarily from:
- Glycogen stores in muscle meats
- Lactose in dairy foods
A macro calculator simplifies things by having you target 0-5 grams of net carbs per day on a carnivore approach.
Food Sources to Meet Carnivore Diet Macros
In order to meet your personalized protein, carb, fat, and calorie goals, youll need to base all your meals and snacks around carnivore-approved foods. Heres an overview:
Lean and Fatty Meats
Meats will provide the bulk of your protein and some fat as well. Grass-fed, pasture-raised options are ideal when possible. Meat varieties to include:
- Beef cuts like steak, roasts, and ground meat
- Pork chops, ham, bacon, sausage
- Chicken and turkey breast and thighs
- Lamb chops and leg
- Game meats like bison, elk, deer, boar
Fatty Fish and Seafood
Incorporating oily fish like salmon and sardines provides anti-inflammatory omega-3s along with protein. Other seafood options:
- Mackerel
- Trout
- Shrimp
- Crab
- Lobster
- Oysters and mussels
Eggs
Eggs offer a versatile high-protein low-carb food to help meet daily macro targets:
- Chicken eggs
- Duck eggs
- Quail eggs
Full-Fat Dairy
Opt for full-fat unsweetened dairy products like:
- Butter
- Cream
- Cheese
- Plain whole milk yogurt
Tips for Success with the Carnivore Diet
Transitioning to an all-meat carnivore way of eating that falls in line with your macro goals takes some patience and planning. Here are some top tips for success:
Track Macro and Calorie Intake
Be accountable by tracking your food intake via an app for at least the first few weeks. This helps ensure you align with protein, fat, carb and calorie goals.
Supplement as Needed
While meat, eggs, and dairy are nutritious, an exclusive animal foods diet may require select supplementation for optimal health:
- Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium
- Omega-3 fish oils
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
Explore Meal Variety
Preparing the same few cuts of meat daily leads to burnout quickly. Seek lots of meat and seafood variety along with using different cooking methods and seasonings.
Mind Carb Counts
Stick diligently to zero carb or extremely low carb for best adherence and results. Watch out for hidden sugars in processed meats like sausage and jerky.
The Bottom Line
Thriving on the restrictive carnivore diet means properly balancing your daily protein, carb, fat, and calorie intake specific to your body and goals. A handy macro calculator simplifies the process so you can focus on sourcing and preparing all-meat meals.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.
Add Comment