Thinking about trying the carnivore diet but overwhelmed by what to eat? You’re not alone! A lot of readers have asked us for simple, no-fuss carnivore meal ideas that are realistic and easy to prep.
This 30 day carnivore diet meal plan for beginners takes the guesswork out by giving you 30 days of simple meal ideas made with everyday ingredients—no organ meats required (unless you’re into that!).
Whether you're doing carnivore for a reset, to support fat loss, or just to reduce inflammation, this plan gives you structure while keeping your plate full of delicious, high-protein foods.
Each day averages between 1600 and 2400 calories, depending on your portion size and hunger cues.
We've been developing high protein low carb recipes for our readers since 2018. Many of our followers are looking to either lose weight, build muscle by eating more protein, or they're working to improve their blood sugar or combat diabetes. While we are not a strict carnivore or no carb site, our goal is to provide help and resources for our audience -- which is you!
Looking for no carb food ideas? Grab our Free 150 Zero Carb Foods List here!
What Is the Carnivore Diet?
The carnivore diet focuses on animal-based foods only: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy. It eliminates all plant-based foods, grains, sugars, fruits, and vegetables.
While it sounds restrictive, many people find it simplifies eating and supports better energy, weight loss, and digestion. Learn more about carnivore basics from Healthline or Cleveland Clinic.
What to Eat on the Carnivore Diet
- Beef: steak, ground beef, roasts, ribs
- Pork: chops, pork belly, bacon (sugar-free)
- Poultry: chicken thighs, wings, turkey
- Fish & seafood: salmon, tuna, sardines, shrimp
- Eggs: boiled, scrambled, fried, poached
- Fats: butter, tallow, ghee
- Optional: hard cheeses, heavy cream (if tolerated)
Looking for a printable? Grab our Free Carnivore Foods List here!
👉 A Note on Dairy + Eggs
This 2-week carnivore meal plan includes eggs, butter, and optional cheese to keep things flexible, satisfying, and realistic. While some people follow a strict version of carnivore that excludes all dairy and eggs, many find they get great results while still including animal-based extras like hard cheeses, heavy cream, and ghee.
If you’re aiming for a stricter reset, simply skip the cheese and stick with meat, eggs, and fat.
How This Meal Plan Works
- You’ll see 3 meals per day, but feel free to adjust to 2 meals if you prefer OMAD or intermittent fasting.
- Protein portions can be scaled based on your calorie needs.
- All meals are meat-based, and seasoning is optional (just stick to salt for strict carnivore).
- Eggs and dairy (butter, cheese, heavy cream) are included to reflect a flexible carnivore approach.
Carnivore-Friendly Seasoning Ideas
While strict carnivore eliminates all seasonings except salt, many people enjoy using minimal, animal-based, or low-inflammatory flavorings. Here are a few:
- Sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, Redmond Real Salt
- Black pepper (optional, depending on your tolerance)
- Garlic powder or onion powder (used sparingly)
- Smoked paprika (minimal)
- Dijon mustard (check ingredients – for relaxed carnivore)
- Animal fats: beef tallow, duck fat, bacon grease
If you're doing this for elimination purposes, stick to just salt and butter.
Easy Carnivore Meal Prep Ideas for Beginners
- Cook proteins in bulk to save time (roast a chicken, batch cook ground beef, hard-boil a dozen eggs)
- Repurpose leftovers for lunch the next day
- Keep staple proteins on hand: eggs, bacon, shredded chicken, beef patties
- Store cooked meals in glass containers for reheating
Weekly Grocery List Suggestions
Each week focuses on basic carnivore staples. Quantities vary by calorie needs. Example Week 1 Grocery List:
- 2 dozen eggs
- 2 lbs bacon
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 ribeye steaks
- 2 lbs chicken thighs
- 1 pork chop
- 1 small pork belly or pork shoulder roast
- 1 package sausage
- Butter, ghee, tallow
- Optional: shredded cheese, heavy cream
You can grab our full printable grocery list here: [Insert Opt-In or Button CTA]
Potential Benefits & Risks of a 30-Day Carnivore Reset
Possible Benefits:
- May reduce inflammation and bloating
- Supports weight loss and muscle preservation
- Eliminates sugar cravings
- Simple for meal planning
Many beginners try the carnivore diet to lose weight or reset their eating habits. With a focus on protein-rich, simple foods, it’s easier to stay full and reduce cravings.
Potential Risks:
- Low in fiber and micronutrients if followed long term
- Possible rise in LDL cholesterol for some
- May cause fatigue or digestive changes in the first week
Always talk with a healthcare provider before beginning a restrictive diet. Some people report reduced inflammation and improved digestion on carnivore (PubMed). However, long-term research on strict carnivore diets is still limited (Harvard Health).
Carnivore Meal Plan: Week by Week
Most of these carnivore meal ideas are 1900 calories or more per day. If you're eating less calories than that, you'll need to adjust the portions accordingly. For example, instead of 3 eggs at breakfast have 2 or instead of an 8 oz steak have 4 oz. It's easy to scale back meat portions!
Week 1
Day 1
- Breakfast: 3 eggs + 3 bacon slices (like our air fryer hard boiled eggs and baked bacon in the oven)
- Lunch: 6 oz ground beef patties + 1 egg
- Dinner: 8 oz air fryer pork chops with butter (air fryer pork chops)
Estimated Calories: ~1,900–2,100 kcal
Day 2
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (4) cooked in tallow (or make our cottage cheese scrambled eggs)
- Lunch: 6 oz shredded rotisserie chicken with melted cheese (optional) (we love cooking frozen bags of chicken in an Instant Pot and shredding it)
- Dinner: 10 oz ribeye steak ( pan fried ribeye steak)
Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Day 3
- Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs + cheddar (optional)
- Lunch: 6 oz salmon with 1 tablespoon butter
- Dinner: 8 oz ground beef bowl topped with 1 oz shredded cheese (optional)
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 4
- Breakfast: 3 hard boiled eggs + 2 breakfast sausage links (air fryer sausage links)
- Lunch: 6 oz chicken thighs (skin-on) (air fryer chicken thighs)
- Dinner: 10 oz pork belly with a pat of butter
Estimated Calories: ~2,200–2,400 kcal
Day 5
- Breakfast: 4 eggs fried in butter
- Lunch: Leftover pork belly + 2 eggs
- Dinner: 8 oz NY strip steak with melted butter
Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Day 6
- Breakfast: 3 eggs + leftover steak
- Lunch: 6 oz shrimp sautéed in ghee
- Dinner: 8 oz ground beef with egg yolk stirred in and shredded cheese (optional)
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 7
- Breakfast: 4 boiled eggs or bacon egg cups
- Lunch: 6 oz turkey burger patty + cheese (optional)
- Dinner: 10 oz chicken wings (air fryer) with butter dipping sauce (air fryer chicken wings)
Estimated Calories: ~1,900–2,100 kcal
Week 2
Day 8
- Breakfast: 2 eggs + 3 slices bacon
- Lunch: 6 oz roast beef with melted cheese (optional)
- Dinner: 8 oz ribeye steak
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 9
- Breakfast: 3 egg omelet + optional cheese
- Lunch: 6 oz grilled salmon with ghee
- Dinner: 8 oz chicken thighs
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 10
- Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs with butter
- Lunch: Ground turkey (6 oz) with melted cheese (optional)
- Dinner: 10 oz pork chop
Estimated Calories: ~1,900–2,100 kcal
Day 11
- Breakfast: 3 eggs + 2 sausage links
- Lunch: Shrimp + boiled egg bowl
- Dinner: 8 oz steak with butter
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 12
- Breakfast: 3 fried eggs
- Lunch: Leftover steak + 1 egg
- Dinner: 8 oz ground chicken with bacon and cheddar (optional)
Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,300 kcal
Day 13
- Breakfast: 4 soft boiled eggs
- Lunch: 6 oz rotisserie chicken
- Dinner: 8 oz grilled salmon with melted butter
Estimated Calories: ~1,900–2,100 kcal
Day 14
- Breakfast: Omelet (3 eggs) with cheese (optional)
- Lunch: 6 oz pork belly
- Dinner: 8 oz ribeye steak
Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Week 3
Day 15
- Breakfast: 2 soft-boiled eggs + 3 slices of bacon
- Lunch: 6 oz shredded chicken + melted cheese (optional)
- Dinner: 8 oz grilled pork steak Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 16
- Breakfast: Cottage cheese scrambled eggs
- Lunch: 6 oz burger patty with cheddar
- Dinner: 10 oz chicken wings Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,300 kcal
Day 17
- Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs + leftover sausage
- Lunch: 6 oz pork belly with butter
- Dinner: 8 oz ribeye steak Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,400 kcal
Day 18
- Breakfast: Bacon egg cups
- Lunch: 6 oz turkey burgers + hard-boiled egg
- Dinner: 8 oz lamb chops or alternative red meat Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 19
- Breakfast: 4 eggs fried in ghee
- Lunch: Leftover lamb or steak
- Dinner: 8 oz pork shoulder roast Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Day 20
- Breakfast: 3 hard-boiled eggs + 2 sausage links
- Lunch: 6 oz salmon with melted butter
- Dinner: 8 oz roasted chicken thighs Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Week 4
Day 21
- Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs with bacon grease
- Lunch: 6 oz shrimp in tallow
- Dinner: 10 oz ribeye steak Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Day 22
- Breakfast: 3 eggs + 2 oz cheese (optional)
- Lunch: Chicken wings with butter dip
- Dinner: 6 oz roast beef + 2 hard boiled eggs Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 23
- Breakfast: Omelet with leftover meat
- Lunch: Shredded chicken + cheese bowl
- Dinner: 8 oz pork belly Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,300 kcal
Day 24
- Breakfast: 4 soft-boiled eggs
- Lunch: 6 oz ground beef bowl
- Dinner: 8 oz grilled chicken wings or thighs Estimated Calories: ~1,900–2,100 kcal
Day 25
- Breakfast: 3 eggs with cheddar (optional)
- Lunch: 6 oz canned salmon + 1 tablespoon mayo (optional, relaxed carnivore)
- Dinner: 8 oz lamb or beef steak Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,300 kcal
Day 26
- Breakfast: hard boiled eggs
- Lunch: 6 oz ground turkey with butter
- Dinner: 10 oz chicken wings Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 27
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs + bacon
- Lunch: Pork chop with pan drippings
- Dinner: Ground beef with cheese Estimated Calories: ~2,100–2,400 kcal
Day 28
- Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs
- Lunch: Turkey burger + fried egg
- Dinner: Ribeye steak with butter Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,300 kcal
Day 29
- Breakfast: 3 eggs fried in bacon grease
- Lunch: Shredded chicken with cheese
- Dinner: Chicken drumsticks Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,200 kcal
Day 30
- Breakfast: Omelet with 3 eggs, cheese, and leftover bacon
- Lunch: Tuna + hard-boiled egg bowl
- Dinner: 10 oz steak Estimated Calories: ~2,000–2,300 kcal
Tips for Success
- Cook proteins in bulk to save time (roast a chicken, batch cook ground beef, hard-boil a dozen eggs)
- Drink plenty of water and consider electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium)
- Track calories if weight loss is your goal, but it’s not required
- Adjust dairy and eggs to match your personal tolerance and goals
FAQs
Can I drink coffee on carnivore?
Some people do. Strict carnivore says no, but many still enjoy black coffee.
Do I have to eat organ meats?
Nope. You can get great results without them. But they are nutrient-dense if you enjoy them.
How many calories per day should I eat on carnivore?
Most people naturally fall between 1600–2400 calories per day, depending on hunger and goals.
Is dairy allowed on carnivore?
Some include it, some don’t. Cheese, butter, and cream are common in less strict versions and are included as optional items in this plan.
Can I work out on carnivore?
Yes! Many people build strength or maintain muscle on this way of eating. Just make sure you’re getting enough protein and electrolytes.
Should I track macros on carnivore?
It’s optional. Some do it for fat loss or muscle gain, others eat intuitively. Most aim for ~65–75% fat and 25–35% protein.
More No Carb Resources
- Carnivore food list
- 150 no carb foods
- 50 no carb recipes
- 50 no carb finger foods
- 30 no carb snacks to make and buy
- No carb diet guide
Disclaimer: Always consult a healthcare provider before starting any diet. This plan is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.
For general nutrition advice, visit MyPlate.gov or consult with a licensed nutrition professional.
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