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I have officially identified myself as eating a meat-based diet. In my more primal/Paleo days, I described myself as “plant-based” since I focused on eating vegetables with some meat but now I focus on meat with some vegetables on the side. Leaning closer to carnivore has lessened my cravings for junk food (chips, crackers, Oreos, cupcakes, etc) therefore eliminating episodes of binge eating, and overall I feel happier. However, I don’t foresee myself ever going full-on carnivore for a few reasons.
The number one reason is that I still like eating plants and do not have issues digesting them. I mostly eat vegetables that are technically fruit like cucumbers, zucchini, and other squashes. I eat Caesar salads semi-regularly because I love Parmesan and Romano cheeses, and I feel like romaine lettuce is super easy to digest as well as being hydrating. When I make a Caesar salad at home, I use an avocado oil based dressing like the one from Primal Kitchen Foods. I use Whisps Parmesean Cheese Crisps in place of croutons (they’re keto and made with just 3 ingredients!). When I order a Caesar at a restaurant, I make do with the soybean oil dressing and regular croutons (I just don’t eat all of them). I also love fruit whether by itself or paired with plain whole milk Greek yogurt. I was so restrictive about fruit during my hardcore Primal years and I won’t ever do that again. All fruit, regardless of sugar content is fair game.
Another reason why I do not want to go full carnivore or animal-based (as described by Paul Saladino here and here) is that they call for elimination of seasonings. I refuse to cook without aromatics and spices. Yeah, I have cut down on using black pepper but not on using garlic and onion. I LOVE Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino foods. Spices are a must for me. I no longer overdo it with like turmeric “golden milk” drinks and the nightshades, but curries, hot sauces, and spaghetti sauce still have a place in my diet.
The third and final reason for not going all-in on carnivore may be a bit TMI, but it is a biomarker of health so it is what it is. My BMs are not as ideal when only eating meat. Back when I ate a giant salad daily, my BMs occurred daily and were perfect as per the Bristol Stool Chart. When only eating meat, constipation was an issue which meant I needed to drink a lot more water. You can absorb hydration from plants (which is what was happening in my Primal era) and I’d rather get my hydration that way instead of drinking the conventionally recommended 8 glasses of water daily. That’s a ridiculous amount of water to consume every single day. I drink about that amount on days that I do a workout, but for the most part I find that I am okay with less.
Here are some of the meals that have been in my regular rotation the past few months.
The aforementioned Caesar salad! I usually eat it plain, but today I got fancy and added bacon and egg since it was more of a brunch meal. I definitely cut up that egg and mixed the yolk in as part of the dressing– divine!!
Here is an example of a meaty breakfast I enjoyed last weekend:
It consisted of cheesy eggs (raw sharp cheddar), Tender Belly sausage (from Sprouts!!), half a banana, and fresh pressed orange juice.
A recently discovered favorite breakfast of mine is ground beef patties with maple syrup, caramelized onions, and some fruit. I’ll make a post on that sometime this week.
At least twice a week I eat a ribeye steak for dinner. I cook it in tallow and when I flip the steak over, I add in a tablespoon of butter and some garlic (either freshly sliced or powder). I then spoon the garlic butter over the seared side as the bottom side cooks in it. Steak is delicious on its own with some salt, but as previously stated, I love seasonings. The meal pictured below includes oven roasted zucchini with Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese.
That’s my diet update. Let me know in the comments what your diet is looking like these days!