What Is the Dirty Carnivore Diet? Everything You Need to Know

What Is the Dirty Carnivore Diet?

What is the Dirty Carnivore Diet and why is it called dirty? The Dirty Carnivore Diet is a more flexible version of the standard Carnivore Diet, which focuses on animal-based foods, but also allows certain fruits, vegetables, and processed foods. This is why it is called “dirty”.

Including these non-animal foods can add more variety to the diet and make it easier for those who find it difficult to eliminate non-Carnivore foods like fruits and vegetables entirely.

For example, Paul Saladino, an American physician, author, and well-known advocate of the Carnivore Diet, adds honey and fruits like pineapple and mango to his meal plan based on his experience and trials.

The main principle of this diet is the same as all low-carb diets, i.e., focusing on high-fat foods while keeping the carbohydrates low, but there are certain rules for including non-Carnivore foods in your meal plan.

Rules

• About 90% of your daily caloric intake must come from animal-based foods and 10% from other sources like fruits, vegetables, and processed meats.
• Choose high-quality and minimally processed animal products and don’t overeat plant foods to minimize exposure to antinutrients.
• Drink enough water because some people with underlying problems can have dehydration or constipation, in the initial phases of this diet.

Goals

• Ketosis: Like ketogenic diets, the Dirty Carnivore Diet focuses on promoting ketosis, a metabolic state where the body uses fat for energy, which can lead to weight loss.
• Better Digestion: Consuming easily digestible animal foods and some low-carb plants, can reduce bloating, streamline digestion, and improve gut health due to low levels of carbohydrates and fiber.

However, not all foods in this diet can help you reach these goals. You can only consume certain animal and plant-based foods in this diet.

Learn More: What Is The Dirty Keto Diet? Food List and Free 7-Day Meal Plan

Foods that Are Allowed on the Dirty Carnivore Diet

The Dirty Carnivore Diet allows high-fat animal-based foods together with some low to moderate-carb vegetables and fruits, such as:

• Meat: Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, and game meats
• Fish: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and other seafood
• Eggs: Chicken eggs and other types of eggs
• Animal Fats: Lard, tallow, and bone marrow
• Dairy: Low-lactose products like butter, heavy cream, and hard cheeses (in moderation)
• Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented vegetables.
• Fruits: Low-sugar fruits like berries
• Vegetables: Leafy greens and other low-carb vegetables like spinach
• Beverages: Black coffee, tea (with no sugar or additives), and  electrolyte drinks
• Processed Foods: Fast food items like burgers and processed meats like sausages

These foods are allowed because of their animal-based nature and low carbohydrate levels. However, many foods can disrupt ketosis in this diet, so you should know and avoid them.

Foods that Should Be Avoided on the Dirty Carnivore Diet

• Starchy Vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, and butternut squash
• Root Vegetables: Carrots, parsnips, and beets
• High-Sugar Fruits: Bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, and mangoes
• Whole Grains: Wheat, oats, rice, barley, quinoa, and corn
• Beans: Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils
• Sweets: Candy, cookies, cakes, pastries, and ice cream
• Sugary Drinks: Regular sodas, energy drinks

Although the diet’s name is “dirty” and includes some non-animal-based foods, it’s not necessarily bad and can even lead to different health benefits.

Learn More: What Is an Animal-Based Diet? Everything You Must Know

The Benefits of the Dirty Carnivore Diet

• Flexibility: Many people are getting used to eating high-carb foods and sweets due to unhealthy lifestyles. Cutting out these foods can be hard, so a flexible plan like the Dirty Carnivore Diet can help in the starting phase.
• Improved Energy Levels: Some Dirty Carnivore dieters reported increased energy and reduced cravings, due to the high fat content and protein intake. A 2017 research shows that it can lead to better overall performance in physical activities and daily tasks [1].
• Weight Management: The high protein and fat intake in this diet can lead to increased satiety, which can help manage your weight more effectively [2].

Although going on a Dirty Carnivore Diet can lead to these benefits, overconsuming carbohydrates and plant-based products, especially for a long time, can cause some health concerns.

The Downsides of the Dirty Carnivore Diet

• Ketosis Delay: Since this diet allows certain fruits and vegetables with higher carbohydrates, it generally takes more time for your body to induce ketosis compared to the standard Carnivore Diet.
• Antinutrients and Plant Toxins: Adding plant foods can bring in substances like oxalates, lectins, and phytates that can block nutrient absorption and affect digestion [3].

The Dirty Carnivore Diet has so many factors in common with the standard Carnivore Diet but differences in the foods they allow lead to different features and results. So, let’s compare them and see which one best fits your health conditions and goals.

Learn More: Can You Eat Honey on a Carnivore Diet? The Best Honey for the Carnivore Diet

The Dirty Carnivore Diet vs. the Carnivore Diet

The main difference between the standard Carnivore and the Dirty Carnivore is the foods these two diets allow and restrict. This difference can impact

• Food Quality,
• Nutritional Focus,
• Health Benefits, and
• Diet Viability.

Food Quality

• Standard Carnivore Diet: This diet Focuses on high-quality, grass-fed, and pasture-raised meats, which provide better nutrients, essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats without the downsides of processed foods.
• Dirty Carnivore Diet: It allows lower-quality meats and processed foods that contain additives and preservatives together with plant-based foods that contain antinutrients and toxins.

Nutritional Focus

• Standard Carnivore Diet: It only allows zero to low-carb, high-protein, and high-fat diet, which can lead to many health benefits, like better weight loss, improved metabolic health, and enhanced mental clarity in a shorter time.
• Dirty Carnivore Diet: This diet can lead to lower-quality nutrients by adding non-animal foods and processed items. While many believe that this flexibility allows for a more enjoyable eating plan, the higher carbohydrate can delay the ketosis state.

Health Benefits

• Standard Carnivore Diet: This diet eliminates all non-animal foods and ingredients to maximize health benefits, such as reduced inflammation, weight loss, improved metabolic health, and enhanced mental clarity.
• Dirty Carnivore Diet: It can also provide the same benefits as the strict Carnivore, such as weight loss, but it allows processed meats and plant foods that have higher carbohydrates and fiber with lower protein and fat, causing fluctuations in blood sugar levels and digestive issues.

Diet Viability

• Standard Carnivore Diet: The diet’s strict concept can be challenging for beginners, as it eliminates all plants and processed foods. However, these strict rules can lead to faster and better results.
• Dirty Carnivore Diet: It offers more flexibility, which can make it easier to start and continue. Having processed foods and vegetables can make the diet more satisfying for some dieters but at the cost of reduced nutritional values.

So, to help you compare these two diets easily, we have summarized their key differences in the table below.

To get started on this diet, you need to consult a nutritionist for a custom meal plan, but also checking a sample meal plan can give you a general idea of ​​the types and amounts of foods you can eat.

So, we have provided a sample 7-day Dirty Carnivore Diet meal plan to help you have a good start.

Learn More: The Carnivore Diet: Is It Healthy? Benefits and Side Effects

7-Day Dirty Carnivore Diet Meal Plan

Here is a sample 7-day meal plan for the Dirty Carnivore Diet. You can always modify this plan based on your needs and goals but note that you can only include the foods allowed in this diet.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with bacon
• Lunch: Grilled chicken thighs with roasted broccoli
• Dinner: Ribeye steak with a small salad (lettuce, cucumber with olive oil)
• Snacks: Pork rinds, cheese slices

Day 2

• Breakfast: Omelet with cheese and ham
• Lunch: Beef burger patties
• Dinner: Salmon fillet with butter and steamed asparagus
• Snacks: Beef jerky, cucumber slices

Day 3

• Breakfast: Hard-boiled eggs with sliced deli meats
• Lunch: Pork chops with sautéed green beans
• Dinner: Grilled lamb chops with roasted cauliflower
• Snacks: Cheese sticks, pork rinds

Day 4

• Breakfast: Egg and cheese breakfast casserole
• Lunch: Chicken wings with sliced bell peppers
• Dinner: Beef stew (beef chunks, bone broth)
• Snacks: Beef sticks, hard-boiled eggs

Day 5

• Breakfast: Sausage patties with scrambled eggs
• Lunch: Grilled shrimp with sautéed spinach
• Dinner: Baked cod with butter and a small salad (romaine lettuce with olive oil)
• Snacks: Cheese slices, pork rinds

Day 6

• Breakfast: Omelet with bacon and cheese
• Lunch: Turkey breast slices with a side of pickles
• Dinner: Grilled steak with roasted asparagus
• Snacks: Beef jerky, celery sticks with cream cheese

Day 7

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sausage
• Lunch: Pork ribs with mushrooms
• Dinner: Baked chicken thighs with sautéed mushrooms
• Snacks: Cheese sticks, pork rinds

The foods included in the above meal plan can have varying levels of protein, fat, calories, and carbohydrates, which is important for those trying to lose weight. You can check the average daily nutrients you can get from the above 7-day meal plan in the table below.

Learn More: The Carnivore Diet and Fruits: Can I Eat Fruits on Carnivore?

Conclusion

To answer the question “What is a Dirty Carnivore Diet?” we can say it’s a more flexible version of the standard Carnivore Diet that allows some plant foods and vegetables like spinach with processed foods like sausages.

Remember that, before starting this diet,  you should consult a healthcare professional to ensure it’s suitable for your health condition, body needs, and fitness goals.