PLEASE NOTE: The information in this blog is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider if you’re seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.
Are you considering adopting an animal-based diet but feel unsure where to begin? Or perhaps you’re already following this path and looking to diversify your meals. In either case, you’ve found the right resource. This guide provides a detailed animal-based diet food list and points you towards valuable information to help you refine your eating habits and thrive. Let’s dive in.
What is an Animal-Based Diet?
An animal-based diet, in essence, revolves around consuming meat, organs, fruit, honey, raw dairy, and other traditional foods valued for millennia.
It can be summarized by three core principles:
- Prioritize high-quality, well-raised meat, organs, and other animal-derived products.
- Focus on consuming carbohydrates from low or medium-toxicity sources (explained further below).
- Eliminate highly processed foods from your diet.
These guidelines form the foundation of this nutritional approach.
Understanding the Animal-Based Diet Food List: Key Considerations
The provided animal based diet food list categorizes foods into low, medium, and high toxicity levels. It’s crucial to understand that individual reactions vary. You might find that certain “low toxicity” foods don’t sit well with your digestive system, while some “high toxicity” items cause no issues for you.
The term “toxicity” isn’t meant to cause alarm but rather to highlight that certain foods, especially when consumed excessively, can potentially have negative effects. Specifically, avoiding seed oils, artificial sweeteners, and other heavily processed items is strongly recommended.
Furthermore, it’s important to be aware that some plant foods contain natural defense chemicals, often called antinutrients. If consumed in large quantities or prepared incorrectly, these compounds might contribute to issues like autoimmunity, joint pain, or digestive problems (1, 2, 3).
There is no one-size-fits-all formula. Every individual has a unique health history, and your tolerances and preferences will likely differ from others following an animal-based lifestyle. Listen to your body, be honest about how foods make you feel, and adjust your diet accordingly.
The ultimate aim is to support your journey towards better health and a fulfilling life. Diet is a powerful component, though just one piece of the puzzle.
Now, let’s explore the specifics of our animal based foods list.
Low Toxicity Foods: The Core of Your Diet
These nutrient-dense foods should form the bulk of your animal-based diet.
Animal Proteins: Emphasize various cuts of meat from ruminant animals such as cows, deer, sheep, goats, and wild game. Organ meats, including liver, heart, kidney, thymus (sweetbreads), tongue, testicles, and bone marrow, are highly encouraged for their nutritional value.
Pasture-raised or corn & soy-free eggs are also excellent choices.
Dairy: Dairy can be a beneficial addition, offering significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, and iodine (4).
Consider Raw dairy if accessible and desired.
Choose A1 or A2 dairy based on tolerance. A1 casein is common in US cow’s milk. The A2 variant, found in milk from specific cow breeds, buffalo, goats, and sheep, may be easier to digest for some (5). Human breast milk is naturally A2 (6).
Popular dairy options include cheese, yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, and whipping cream.
Fruit: Nearly all fruits (fresh, frozen, or dried) fit within an animal-based diet. Prioritize organic and locally grown fruits when possible.
Assortment of fresh fruits like berries, pineapple, oranges, and bananas viewed from above
Sweet fruits: Examples include berries, apples, oranges, pineapple, pears, melons, bananas, mangoes, dates, etc.
Non-sweet fruits: Examples include zucchini, various squashes, pumpkin, cucumber, avocado, and olives.
Fat Sources: Butter, Tallow, Ghee, Suet, Lard.
Sweeteners: Raw Honey, Organic Maple Syrup, Agave Syrup.
Herbs/Spices: Salt, Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, Thyme.
Beverages: Filtered Water, Fresh-Squeezed Fruit Juice, Bone Broth, Coconut Water.
Medium Toxicity Foods: Use with Consideration
This category includes foods like certain fermented vegetables, specific grains (like white rice), and other plant items that many on an animal-based diet incorporate, but some individuals may not tolerate well.
Animal Proteins: Limit meat from monogastric animals (e.g., pork, chicken), as their feed often includes corn, soy, and other inputs that can be potentially problematic.
Wild-caught seafood requires careful sourcing due to potential contamination with heavy metals, microplastics, or antibiotics.
Fruit: Rhubarb & Starfruit (notable for higher oxalate content).
Vegetables & Grains: Sauerkraut, Pickles, Sweet Potato, Yams, Carrots, White Rice, Sourdough Bread (if tolerated).
Fat Sources: Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Dark Chocolate (in moderation).
Herbs/Spices: Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Dill, Mint, Parsley, Ceylon Cinnamon, Coconut Aminos.
Beverages: Coffee, Tea (monitor individual tolerance).
High Toxicity Foods: Limit or Avoid
It’s generally advised to minimize or avoid foods from this section. However, individual tolerance varies – you might find you do well with small amounts of kale or onions, for example.
The primary focus remains on eliminating highly processed foods, particularly seed oils and artificial sweeteners.
Bottles of various seed oils like canola and soybean oil, recommended for avoidance on an animal-based diet
Vegetable & Seed Oils: Canola, Corn, Soybean, Rapeseed, Cottonseed, Safflower, Peanut, Rice Bran, Soy, etc. Complete avoidance of these oils is strongly suggested.
Vegetables: Examples include Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Horseradish, Radishes, Watercress, Bok Choy, Cassava, Beets, Onion, Garlic.
Grains: Examples include Wheat, Corn, Oats, Millet, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Amaranth, etc.
Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, etc.
Seeds: Chia, Flax, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Quinoa, Hemp, Sesame, etc.
Legumes: Peas, Green Beans, Soybeans, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Peanuts, etc.
Nightshades: Tomatoes, White Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers (bell and chili), Goji Berries.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Aspartame, Stevia, Monk Fruit, etc.
Herbs/Spices: Turmeric, Pepper, Cardamom, Cumin, Coriander, etc. (use based on tolerance).
Highly Processed Foods: Sodas, Pastries, Chips, Pretzels, Conventional Pizza, Cereals, Candies, etc.
Simplifying Your Animal-Based Diet
There you have it – a comprehensive guide to navigating food choices on an animal-based diet. Shifting your eating habits can seem daunting, but this animal-based foods list serves as a practical starting point or a tool for adding variety to your established routine.
Download the full animal based diet food list PDF for a convenient, printable animal based grocery list and access to additional resources designed to support your health goals.
While each person’s health journey is unique, adhering to these principles has helped countless individuals achieve weight loss, improve autoimmune conditions, and enhance fertility. Remember to listen to your body and personalize the approach for optimal results.
References
- Samtiya, M., Aluko, R. E., Dhewa, T., & Moreno-Rojas, J. M. (2021). Potential Health Benefits of Plant Food-Derived Bioactive Components: An Overview. Foods, 10(4), 839. https://medcraveonline.com/HIJ/HIJ-01-00011.pdf – Note: The original link points to a different article title/journal than typical citation formats, link retained as provided.
- Petroski, W., & Minich, D. M. (2020). Is There Such a Thing as “Anti-Nutrients”? A Narrative Review of Scoping Reviews. Nutrients, 12(10), 2929. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5841445/ – Note: The original link points to a 2018 article on Lectins, using the link provided.
- Zaragoza-Jordana, M., et al. (2021). The Effect of Processing Methods on Antinutrient Composition in Einkorn Wholegrain (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum). Foods, 10(8), 1861. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8341183/
- Gaucheron, F. (2021). Dairy Matrix: A Concept Which Allows Understanding the Specific Health Benefits of Dairy Products. Foods, 10(4), 768. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8072827/
- Jianqin, S., Leiming, X., Lu, X., Yelland, G. W., Ni, J., & Clarke, A. J. (2016). Effects of milk containing only A2 beta casein versus milk containing both A1 and A2 beta casein proteins on gastrointestinal physiology, symptoms of discomfort, and cognitive behavior of people with self-reported intolerance to traditional cows’ milk. Nutrition Journal, 15(1), 35. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12937-016-0147-z
- Brooke-Taylor, S., Dwyer, K., Woodford, K., & Kost, N. (2017). Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein. Advances in Nutrition, 8(5), 739–748. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586534/ – Note: The original link points to a 2015 article on Beta-Casomorphins, using the link provided.
