Carnivore Diet vs Mediterranean Diet: A Fair Comparison & My Experience (2024)

The Mediterranean diet has been touted for decades now as being the healthiest way to eat. In fact, I used to eat this way, and feed my family the same. But how does it compare to the carnivore diet, where many have seen amazing health benefits? Let’s take a look at both diets and compare which one might be the best approach for you…

The carnivore diet is an approach focusing on consuming animal-based products only, whereas the Mediterranean diet is known for its balance and emphasis on plant-based foods, alongside moderate consumption of fish and dairy products.

Both diets have advantages and disadvantages, and in this article, I’ll:

• compare the pros and cons of both the carnivore diet and the Mediterranean diet
• Look at potential nutritional differences
• Compare the different styles of eating
• My personal experience on both diets

If you’re considering switching from one or the other, or you’re trying to figure out which diet will be best for you, read on…

Understanding the Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet’s primary principle is that our ancestors consumed meat (almost exclusively), and by following this same style of eating, we can maximize our health, in-line with eating what our ancestors thrived on.

It involves eating only animal-based foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs, while completely excluding plant-based foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables.

In its purest form, the carnivore diet encourages consuming only meat and drinking water.

Although the diet has become more popular in recent times, humans have been consuming animal-based diets for thousands of years. Historically, Inuit and other indigenous populations have survived on a predominantly animal-based diet due to their harsh environments with little access to plant foods.

Principles & Key Foods of the Carnivore Diet

There is emphasis to consume high-quality meats and animal products that are minimally processed. This includes:

• grass-fed beef
• wild-caught fish
• free-range poultry

NOTE: If high quality meats are unattainable, it is still entirely possible to thrive on the carnivore diet by eating unprocessed meats from a regular grocery store. It’s what I do! Wild caught is a luxury I save for special occasions.

Organ meats, such as liver and kidney, are also highly prized for their nutrient density. And when it comes to fat sources, emphasis is placed on incorporating animal fats like:

• tallow
• butter
• lard

All while avoiding vegetable oils, plant/seed oils and processed fats.

You can also consume animal-derived products, such as:

• eggs
• bone broth
• dairy

Overall, the Carnivore Diet is built around a few key principles:

• Focus on high-quality, minimally processed animal-based foods
• Exclude plant-based foods, including grains, fruits, and vegetables
• Include nutrient-dense organ meats and seafood
• Prioritize natural animal fats for satiety and overall health

Following a Carnivore Diet means adhering to the above principles, and while this diet may not be suitable for everyone, it does have its benefits. Many, including myself, have seen:

• improved health
• weight loss
• better mental clarity
• sustained and higher energy levels

Now let’s take a look at the Mediterranean diet. A diet that I followed for many years…

Understanding the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has its origins in the traditional eating patterns of people living in the Mediterranean region, including countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain.

This way of eating takes inspiration from the dietary habits of people living around the Mediterranean Sea in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when this region had lower rates of chronic diseases and longer life expectancies as compared to other regions.

Principles & Key Foods of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is primarily plant-based, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. One of the key aspects of this diet is using olive oil as the main source of added fat, instead of butter or other saturated fats. The diet also emphasizes:

• Eating fish and seafood at least twice a week.
• Incorporating moderate amounts of poultry, eggs, and dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
• Limiting consumption of red meat to a few times per month.
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional).
• Enjoying meals with family and friends.

When I was eating this way, I enjoyed a variety of different foods and flavors, and it was a lovely way for me to enjoy food with family and friends. I’ll give you my experience and results later in this article. First, let’s talk more about the nutritional differences between the 2 diets…

Nutritional Comparison: Mediterranean Diet vs Carnivore Diet

Macro-nutrient Breakdown of Carnivore & Mediterranean Diets

When comparing the Carnivore diet and the Mediterranean diet, the main difference is their macro-nutrient content.

The Carnivore diet is very high in protein and fat, with almost no carbohydrates, while the Mediterranean diet has a balance of fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.

This means that the diets rely on different fuel sources to sustain the body. The carnivore diet relies on using fats for energy, so the body goes into a state of ketosis, using up fat to sustain the body (including using up excess fat stores in the body).

Whereas the Mediterranean diet uses carbohydrates as a fuel source. This means that in order to lose weight eating this, you would have to maintain a calorie deficit, and also be aware of insulin spikes and dips due to blood sugar levels increasing and decreasing whenever the body receives higher amounts of carbohydrates.

Now let’s take a look at the nutritional differences…

Vitamin & Mineral Analysis of Carnivore & Mediterranean Diets

Arguably, the vitamin and mineral content of the Mediterranean diet offers a more diverse range of nutrients due to its inclusion of plant-based foods. However, the carnivore diet supplies ample amounts of essential nutrients like Vitamin B12, iron, and zinc from animal sources, which can be hard to get from plants (source).

You see, when it comes to the vitamins & minerals coming from our foods, it isn’t a simple input equals output situation. There are also other considerations, such as:

1. How bio-available are the nutrients in the food?
2. Are certain vitamins/minerals are only needed if you are also consuming certain other foods?
3. What else is in the foods that have an effect on the body?

The above 3 points are very important to consider when looking at the nutrient profiles of both diets…

#1: Bio-Availability of Nutrients in Foods

Just because a piece of broccoli is rich in vitamin c, it doesn’t mean that the human body is able to access it. And this is one of the biggest misconceptions of vitamins and minerals found in foods.

It is not about how rich or high a food is in a certain vitamin or mineral, it is about how available that vitamin or mineral is to the human body.

Animal foods, such as beef or chicken is full of vitamins and minerals that are highly bio-available to our bodies. Whereas generally speaking, the vitamins, minerals and even proteins found in plant foods, tend to have a very low availability to the human body.

So, doing a straight comparison of what nutrients are found in both diets is not a really a fair one.

#2: Certain Nutrients are Only Needed in Certain Conditions

It is 100% true that the carnivore diet lacks in certain nutrients that are considered essential, such as:

• Fiber
• Vitamin C

And yet there are people who have thrived on the carnivore for centuries, such as the Inuit. And in more recent times, there have been countless people eating a meat only diet, who have never reported any signs of scurvy (lack of vitamin C) or problems with digestion (the reason we are told we need fiber) when eating this way even on a long-term basis.

Could these nutrients possibly only be needed if we are also consuming plants?

#3: Other Substances Found in Foods

Another important consideration, is the other substances found in foods that are not nutrients. In fact, some of them are considered ‘anti-nutrients’ i.e. substances that actually leech nutrients from the body, or interfere with the absorption of other nutrients.

Many fruits, vegetables and especially grains contain anti-nutrients, such as:

• oxalates
• lectins
• phytates
• phytoestrogens
• tannins

These substances can potentially cause harm to certain individuals who lack healthy detox systems or certain gut bacteria that help bind to these anti-nutrients. (source)

So, although at first glance, it seems that the Mediterranean diet offers a wider range of nutrients, the carnivore diet offers better bio-availability and omits anti-nutrients.

Both diets have the advantage of:

• no processed foods
• healthy fats only

This is a big plus for both diets, as simply cutting out processed foods and adding in healthier fats can have an amazing positive impact on your health.

The Mediterranean diet has claims of longevity and well-being, based on observations of the people eating this way in certain regions. And the carnivore diet has claims of enhanced well-being and performance based on the way our ancestors ate.

Overall, each person’s dietary needs and preferences are unique, and it’s crucial to weigh the potential benefits and risks of any diet before deciding which one is the best fit for you. I’ve experienced both diets, and in case you’re curious, here’s what I learned…

My Experience on Mediterranean Diet vs Carnivore Diet

The Mediterranean diet is the diet I had been on for the longest time. I thought it was the healthiest diet, as this tended to be the mainstream opinion. But then my health started to decline, starting off with gut issues and then slowly moving into all sorts of autoimmune conditions and other health issues.

That’s when I started to look into other ways of eating to help improve my health. I looked into, and followed, many diets over the years leading up to following the carnivore diet. I tried:

• Gaps diet
• Grain free Sugar free
• Ketogenic/Low carb diet (check out my comparison for keto here)
• Carnivore

Roughly in that order, with a few relapses to back to the standard American style of eating every now and then in-between. You can read my full health journey with food here, but in terms of my comparison between the Mediterranean diet and the carnivore diet, here are my personal findings:

For me personally, I saw a stark improvement in my health when I started eating a carnivore diet, including:

• skin conditions dramatically improved ()
• digestive symptoms disappeared
• better mental clarity
• lost excess weight
• more sustained energy levels

As you can see, although I enjoyed the variety of eating a Mediterranean diet, I benefitted in so many more ways by eating a meat-based diet. And now I enjoy the freedom I feel for not having any cravings for sugary foods. This is something that I never experienced on the Mediterranean diet. And it does eventually become exhausting having to constantly use will power to stop yourself from eating badly.

So, my preference is the carnivore diet overall. So much so, that I decided to start CarnivoreBoss.com to let the world know how good I feel on it!

But of course, every one of us is different, and what works for me, may not work for you.