How To Do A Zero-Carb (Carnivorous) Diet Correctly, Part 2: An Example Menu And Why Steak & Water Is Not Enough

I have created an example menu following the principles laid out in the previous post to show that the nutrition is sound as compared to the ‘steak and water’ diet of which zero-carbers seem to be becoming more and more fond. We’ll use the standard 150lb person for comparison.

Menu 1:

16oz beef, 18% fat

2 eggs

1.5oz chicken liver

1.5oz pork liver

1/2oz beef liver

3tbsp gelatine (or equivalent)

1/4cup broth (~400mg calcium)

1 eggshell (~1g calcium)

Supplements: 3/4tsp potassium chloride, 1tsp normal salt, 1/2tsp magnesium chloride, 1 drop Lugol’s solution.

Menu 2:

21oz beef, 18% fat

	Menu 1	Menu 2
Calories	1425	1421
Protein	130	106	g
Protein	39	32	%
Fat	96	107	g
Fat	61	68	%
Carbs	1.7	0	g
Protein:
Grams/lb   (>0.7g/lb)	0.87	0.71	g/lb
Threonine	4.8	4.1	g
Threonine (>15mg/kg)	70	60	mg
Gelatine equiv	25	17.2	g
(glycine/proline/serine)	11.1/8.2/5.7	7.4/5.5/4.3
Cysteine	1.5	1.1	g
Vitamins & Minerals:
Folate	398	39	mg
Retinol	2307	0	ug
Selenium	222	91	ug
Calcium	1559	100	mg
Magnesium	434	104	mg
Potassium	4783	1669	mg
Sodium	2354	397	mg
Choline	732	348	mg
(Iodine not compared as it’s not measured in CRONometer)

As you can see eating just muscle meat to the same calories is very poor nutritionally compared to eating ‘whole animal’ style, ie including livers, kidney, gelatine, broth, and supplemental minerals.

Unless one is drinking mineral rich water, they may develop several mineral deficiencies; even so, they will lack folate (which increases the risk of birth defects), retinol (risking eyesight), and selenium (risking poor thyroid).

Advising some-one that they can live on nothing but ‘steak and water’ is dangerous at best. Just as an omnivorous diet includes plants for balanced nutrition, so too a carnivorous diet should include more than just muscle meat.

Carnivorous animals, like lions and wolves consume all the organs bar the digestive system, eat the skin, and gnaw on the bones. Humans do not produce enough stomach acid to be able to digest bones directly, and so broth should be used instead for optimum nutrition.

A side note on calories:

You may notice the menus are only ~1400 calories; this should be a minimum, such as for someone trying to lose weight or a small female. Protein should not be increased too high (1g/lb ideal weight maximum): extra calories should come from fat, use a higher percentage of fat in your meat or add fats such as tallow, butter/ghee, or coconut oil. Coconut oil is very good for use during exercising as it provides fast energy.