Animal-Based Diet: The Complete Guide to Getting Started

Animal-based is not a meat diet and not the opposite of a plant-based diet. It is an organizational principle: You focus on foods that have a high nutrient content per serving—both animal and plant-based—and leave out what primarily provides calories. This guide explains what is included, what nutritional science has to say about it, what you should buy, and what a typical day looks like.

What is an animal-based diet?

Animal-based refers to a way of eating where animal foods form the core of the meal—meat, offal, eggs, fish, dairy products, and animal fats—complemented by selected plant foods such as fruit, honey, and easily digestible vegetables. Anything highly processed is primarily omitted or reduced: industrial sugar, refined seed oils, white flour products, and convenience foods.

The term became known through the American doctor Paul Saladino, who published "The Carnivore Code" in 2020, in which he advocated for a strict carnivore diet.^[1] He later expanded his approach to include fruit, honey, and raw dairy products, labeling this form "animal-based."

For context: There are no controlled intervention studies for this pattern as a whole. "Animal-based" is not a scientifically defined diet, but a collective term that became popular via social media. What can be proven are the individual components—the bioavailability of certain nutrients, the nutrient density of offal, and the effects of the degree of processing. This text is limited precisely to that.

In practice, the term has moved away from its origin anyway. Most people who eat animal-based today do not follow a set of rules or a guru. They have simply reversed the order: the nutrient-dense food goes on the plate first, then the side dish—not the other way around.

Important for understanding: Animal-based is not an exclusionary method against plants. Those who tolerate and enjoy vegetables eat vegetables. The difference from the standard diet lies not in what is missing, but in what is at the center.

How does animal-based differ from carnivore, Paleo, and keto?

The four terms are constantly confused, but the differences are clear.

Carnivore is the most restrictive variant and is usually used as a time-limited elimination protocol. Keto is the only one of the four not defined by the origin of the food—a ketogenic diet can be purely plant-based. Animal-based is generally not ketogenic because it includes fruit and honey.

Animal-based is thus the least dogmatic of the four forms. There is no carbohydrate limit, no list of forbidden items, no phases.

Why animal foods are at the center

The reason is not ideological, but nutritional: certain nutrients are either more readily available from animal sources or cannot be obtained otherwise. This is not a fringe opinion, but is stated as such by the German Nutrition Society (DGE).

Iron

Iron is found in both animal and plant foods. However, the body can utilize iron from animal sources better than plant-based iron, the absorption of which is additionally inhibited by phytates from whole grain products and legumes, as well as polyphenols from coffee and black tea.^[2] Vitamin C improves absorption—the classic combination of meat and bell peppers or lemon has a real basis.

Iron contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.^[3]

Vitamin B12

Here, the situation is clear: only animal foods contain significant amounts of available vitamin B12. Those who eat few or no animal foods must supplement B12.^[4]

Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy metabolism and the normal functioning of the nervous system.^[3]

Vitamin A

The active form of vitamin A is retinol, and preformed vitamin A is contained exclusively in animal foods. Plants provide provitamin A carotenoids, especially beta-carotene, which the body must first convert.^[5]

This conversion is not one-to-one. When consumed via a mixed diet, the DGE uses a conversion rate of 12:1 for retinol activity equivalents.^[5] You therefore need a multiple of beta-carotene to obtain the same amount of retinol—and the individual conversion performance fluctuates.

Zinc

Zinc from animal sources is more bioavailable because plant foods contain phytate, which binds zinc in the gastrointestinal tract. According to the DGE, bioavailability drops by up to 45 percent with high phytate intake—the reference values have therefore been graded by low, medium, and high phytate intake since 2019: 7, 8, and 10 mg per day for women aged 19 and older, and 11, 14, and 16 mg for men.^[6]

The DGE expressly notes that the simultaneous intake of animal protein increases the bioavailability of zinc.^[6] This is not a peripheral detail, but the very mechanism in question here.

Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.^[3]

Omega-3 fatty acids

The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are found primarily in fatty fish. Although the body can produce them from plant-based alpha-linolenic acid, this conversion is limited and is additionally inhibited by a high intake of the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid.^[7]

This is precisely where a practical starting point lies: sunflower, corn germ, and thistle oil are particularly rich in linoleic acid. Those who reduce them improve their starting position—regardless of how much fish they eat.

Protein

Animal protein contains all essential amino acids in a ratio favorable to humans. Plant protein can also be combined to be high-quality through skillful planning—it just requires more effort.

And what about vegetables, fruit, and legumes?

They are part of it. We do not subscribe to the narrative that plants are fundamentally problematic.

It is true that plants form defense compounds—phytates, oxalates, lectins, goitrogens. It is also true that these substances can inhibit the absorption of certain minerals, as described above with zinc and iron. But what is omitted in many animal-based presentations: these effects can largely be mitigated.

Through soaking, sprouting, or sourdough fermentation, phytate can be broken down and the bioavailability of zinc increased—this is written by the DGE itself.^[6] That is why a slowly fermented sourdough is nutritionally different from a white yeast bread. Cooking reduces lectins. And those who eat meat, fish, or eggs with their meal improve mineral absorption from the plant components anyway.^[6]

In addition: vegetables and fruit provide fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, and secondary plant compounds. Fiber comes almost exclusively from plant foods—those who consistently avoid plants consume very little of it accordingly.

Our position is therefore calm: eat both. Put the nutrient-dense animal food at the center, build around it the amount of fruit and vegetables you tolerate well, and prepare plant foods so that they provide their best. The fact that other people have different priorities and derive a different diet from them is no contradiction to this text.

What belongs on the plate?

The basis

• Red meat – Beef, lamb, game. Steak, ground meat, braised pieces like shank or shoulder
• Offal – Liver, heart, kidneys. The most nutrient-dense part of the animal
• Eggs – whole eggs, the yolk is the nutrient-rich part
• Fish and seafood – fatty fish like herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines; oysters and mussels
• Animal fats – butter, ghee, beef tallow, lard, bone marrow

The complement

• Dairy products – butter, cream, cheese, yogurt, quark. Those who are lactose intolerant usually cope well with aged cheese and butter
• Fruit – ripe seasonal fruit, berries, citrus fruits, bananas, mangoes
• Honey – as a sweetener instead of industrial sugar
• Vegetables – root vegetables, pumpkin, carrots, lettuce, cabbage. According to tolerance
• Collagen and bone broth – the connective tissue that is missing when eating only muscle meat
• Herbs, spices, salt – without restriction

What is reduced

• Refined seed oils – sunflower, rapeseed, thistle, corn germ, and soybean oil
• Industrial sugar and syrups
• White flour products and highly processed grain products
• Convenience foods, snacks, soft drinks
• Processed meat – sausage, salami, ham (more on this in a moment)

Nose to tail: why offal belongs

Until a few generations ago, it was a matter of course to use an animal entirely. Liver, heart, tongue, bones, fat—everything was eaten. Only the modern meat industry has narrowed consumption to muscle meat and declared the rest a byproduct.

Nutritionally, this is the worse choice, because the nutrients are not in the muscle. Beef liver provides vitamin A, B vitamins including B12, folate, iron, and copper in a density that no steak can reach.

Important limitation: liver is so nutrient-dense that the quantity counts. Since the 1990s, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has recommended that pregnant women avoid consuming liver of any animal species and be very cautious with liver-containing products—due to the high vitamin A levels, which have been linked to an increased risk of birth defects in the first months of pregnancy.^[8]

For everyone else, the sensible amount can be calculated. In 2024, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and maintained it at 3,000 µg retinol equivalents per day for adults.^[9] This corresponds to around 21,000 µg per week.

How much of this is in a serving of liver depends on the animal—the data in nutritional tables varies considerably. The BfR cites an average of 17 to 29 mg of vitamin A per 100 g for slaughter animal liver^[10]—i.e., 17,000 to 29,000 µg. A single 100 g portion therefore already reaches or exceeds the entire weekly value.

This upper limit is not a daily cap that must never be exceeded, but a value for long-term average intake—vitamin A is stored in the body, and intake balances out over time. EFSA itself draws a clear practical conclusion from this: the upper intake level is unlikely to be exceeded in European populations if liver, offal, and products made from them are limited to at most once a month.^[9] Anyone who eats liver more frequently is operating above this recommendation. This is not an acute risk—vitamin A is stored and balances out over time—but it is the scale used by the European assessment.

Two things are added. First, the upper intake level applies to all sources combined—liver, liver sausage, fortified foods, and supplements all count toward the same total. Second, liver is not all the same: contents vary significantly depending on the animal species and the individual animal—the BfR gives a range of 17 to 29 mg per 100 g for slaughter liver alone.^[10]

Heart is not affected by any of this. It is a muscle, not a storage organ, and therefore does not contribute significantly to vitamin A intake—an uncomplicated introduction to offal. For the total quantity, the DGE recommendation of a maximum of 300 g of meat and sausage per week, which includes heart, still applies.^[4] If you want to get used to liver, start by mixing it into ground meat, up to a quarter.

Where the animal comes from—and why we don't gloss over it

Most animal-based texts do not write about this part. We consider that a mistake.

Whoever eats animal foods eats living beings. That cannot be translated away into "protein" and "nutrient density." An animal lived for this meal and died for it—and that is the real reason why quality and origin are not a matter of taste, but the core of the matter.

For us, this does not result in abstinence, but the opposite of carelessness: anyone who consciously chooses animal foods should look all the more closely. Less, but better. Use everything instead of just the prime cuts. And know which farm the piece comes from.

What the husbandry levels mean

Since summer 2024, there have been five levels in retail instead of four. They are based on the terms of the 2023 Animal Husbandry Labeling Act.^[11]

Consumer advice centers consider husbandry to be significantly improved only from level 3 onwards – while also pointing out that more space in the barn does not automatically mean higher animal welfare.^[11] The label is a guide, not a guarantee. The farm shop where you can see the pasture tells you more than any number on the package.

Pasture-raising also changes the food

The difference is not just ethical. A British study by Newcastle University compared rump steaks from four husbandry systems – conventional, organic, certified 100% grass-fed, and landscape conservation grazing. The intramuscular fat of the grass-fed animals contained twice as much omega-3 and 1.9 times the amount of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as the conventional control group; the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio was only 38 percent of the conventional value.^[12]

A recent study on beef from the North American market arrived at comparable orders of magnitude: approximately 2:1 for grass-fed versus approximately 8:1 for grain-fed beef. For context: for the typical Western diet overall, ratios of about 15:1 to 16.7:1 are reported^[13] – so even grain-fed beef is still below that level.^[14]

The reason is simple: grass contains significantly more alpha-linolenic acid than grain. What the animal eats ends up in its fat.

Two caveats should be mentioned. First, "pasture access" is not the same as "100% grass-fed for life" – the clear effects are seen with continuous grass feeding, not just a few weeks in a meadow. Second, fatty fish remains the more abundant source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids; pasture-raised beef provides a contribution, not a substitute.

Nonetheless, it remains remarkable: the husbandry that is better for the animal incidentally provides better food. This is one of the rare constellations in which ethics and nutritional physiology point in the same direction.

Why the farms you should buy from will soon no longer exist

The figures from the Federal Statistical Office are clear. As of the reference date of May 3, 2026, there were still 120,300 cattle farms in Germany – a decline of 18.7 percent or 27,600 farms compared to ten years ago. The loss of dairy farms is even more drastic: 46,200 remaining farms mean a decrease of 35.2 percent in ten years.^[15] Animal numbers are falling more slowly than the number of farms – meaning the livestock is migrating into fewer, ever-larger operations.

This is the point where a purchasing decision actually makes a difference. Anyone who buys from a direct marketer is keeping exactly the farm structure alive that makes pasture-raising possible in the first place. Anyone who reaches for the cheapest package at the discount store is accelerating the opposite movement. Both are a decision, including doing nothing.

The most honest sentence on this topic is uncomfortable: good meat is more expensive because it has to be more expensive. The way to compensate for this is not to forego quality, but to forego quantity – and to be willing to eat the parts that no one else wants.

And what if you can't get to the butcher every week?

Then that is normal. We don't buy everything from direct marketers ourselves. Between work, children, and a supermarket that stays open until 8 p.m., the supermarket wins – and a text that pretends otherwise is not being honest.

More important than the perfect shop is therefore the question of which decisions actually carry weight. Our ranking, from most impact to least:

1. Degree of processing over origin. Unprocessed minced meat from the supermarket is a better decision than organic salami. The difference between "a food" and "a product" is greater than that between husbandry systems 2 and 4. If you only change one thing, change this.

2. Fat is the cheapest lever. Butter instead of sunflower oil costs a few euros a month and is independent of where you shop. Tallow from the butcher costs almost nothing, lasts for months, and even when rendered, it takes twenty minutes to make.

3. The cheap cuts are the good ones. Liver, heart, bones, beef shank, and minced meat are just as nutrient-dense in a discount store as they are in a farm shop – and they cost a fraction of a steak anywhere. Those who shift their meat intake from rump steak to braising cuts can shop much better on the same budget.

4. Eggs are the cheapest quality leap. The first digit of the producer code will cost you a difference of one to two euros per pack of ten. That is the cheapest husbandry decision you can make in the supermarket.

5. Canned fish counts. Sardines and mackerel from a can are fatty fish, cost little, last forever, and require no preparation. Anyone without access to a good fish counter still has access to omega-3s.

6. Once a quarter instead of every week. Many direct marketers sell meat packages – a mixed package of 5 to 10 kilos, ordered once, frozen, and consumed over months. This significantly lowers the price per kilo and reduces the effort to four orders per year. A freezer pays for itself faster than you think.

The conclusion: Shopping at a farm shop is best, but it's not the only entry ticket. Anyone who shops at the supermarket for budget or time reasons isn't doing anything wrong – and is still making decisions there every week that change something. A diet that only works with a perfect shop doesn't work.

How much meat makes sense?

We are writing this section consciously, even though it does not serve our products. Anyone who wants to make an informed decision must know both sides.

Since 2024, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) has recommended eating no more than 300 g of meat and sausage per week. The reasoning is that too much red meat and especially sausage increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and colorectal cancer – and also due to ecological considerations.^[4] The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies processed meat as carcinogenic and unprocessed red meat as probably carcinogenic, primarily with regard to colon cancer.^[16]

This recommendation is below what most people practicing an animal-based diet consume. That needs to be named and not talked away.

Three points for context that are important to us:

Processed and unprocessed are not the same. The data situation is much clearer for processed meat than for unprocessed. Sausage, salami, and cured meats are the part where giving them up costs the least and yields the most.

Preparation counts. When searing and grilling at high temperatures, compounds are formed that play a role in the risk discussion. Braising, boiling, and gentle frying are the less problematic cooking methods.

Context counts. The underlying observational studies primarily cover a diet in which meat is eaten along with white flour, sugar, and processed products. Whether the same correlations apply in an otherwise unprocessed diet has not been conclusively clarified – and anyone who deduces a blank check from this is overinterpreting the data in the other direction.

May this recommendation be questioned?

Yes. Not to dismiss it, but because one should know how such a number comes about. The DGE discloses this itself.

The figure comes from a model that considers more than health. The 2024 recommendations are based on a mathematical optimization model that included not only nutrient supply but also greenhouse gas emissions and land requirements.^[17][18] That is not a criticism – the DGE expressly identifies it as a new feature. But it means: the 300 g is the result of a trade-off between health, climate, and the eating habits common in Germany, not the answer to the isolated question, "How much meat can a human tolerate?". Anyone who asks only this one question is asking a different question than the model.

The 300 g partly went into the model as a requirement, not just as a result. The DGE documents on menu planning describe a scenario that includes a requirement of 300 g of meat per week – in contrast to a second scenario without this requirement.^[19] A limit set as a constraint is something different from a limit that emerges from the data.

"Meat and sausage" is one category, not two. The 300 g includes salami, meatloaf, and currywurst just as much as a grass-fed steak. According to the state of research, however, these are not the same foods: for processed meat, the evidence is clear; for unprocessed red meat, it is weaker.^[16] Anyone who cuts out processed meat has cleared away the larger part of the risk – and thus also has a factual reason to evaluate the remaining amount differently.

Relative risk is not absolute risk. The frequently cited IARC figure is: 50 g of processed meat daily is associated with an 18 percent higher risk of colon cancer. In concrete terms, according to the consumer advice center: about 70 out of 1,000 men in Germany develop colon cancer in the course of their lives. With 50 g of additional processed meat per day, it would be around 82 to 83 out of 1,000 – i.e., about 12 additional cases per 1,000 men. For women, it increases from 57 to around 67 per 1,000.^[20]

These numbers are not small. But they are something other than what "18 percent" triggers in the mind – and they refer to 50 g of processed meat daily, not a piece of beef.

What does not follow from this. It cannot be inferred from all this that quantity does not matter. The direction of the data is correct, especially for sausage. Those who regularly eat double or triple that amount are moving outside of what is well-studied – and bear the risk themselves.

Our attitude towards this is simple: you are an adult. You are allowed to know how a recommendation was created, what goals were factored into it, and where the data becomes thin. And you are allowed to decide differently than the average on this basis – as long as you know the counterarguments and don't pretend they don't exist. That is exactly why this section is here.

Our honest recommendation: pay attention to quality and preparation first, cut out processed meat, and make quantity decisions consciously instead of incidentally. Anyone who is regularly significantly above the reference values should monitor this with their own doctor and one or two blood tests per year.

What you should look for when shopping

Meat and organ meats

The difference between a supermarket steak and grass-fed beef from direct marketing is considerable – in taste, fatty acid profile, and animal welfare. Where to go: farm shops, regional direct marketers, good butchers, organic boxes with a meat component.

Organ meats are almost never on the self-service shelf, but almost always available for order. Ask your butcher for liver, heart, and marrow bones – this costs little and they are happy to give it away because demand is small. Because organ meats are metabolic organs, the following applies especially: as fresh as possible and from an origin you know.

Eggs

Barn, free-range, organic – the difference can be read from the first digit of the producer code: 0 stands for organic, 1 for free-range, 2 for barn, 3 for cage. Farm eggs are available in many regions via vending machines.

Fats

Butter, ghee, tallow, and lard are heat-stable and have a long shelf life. Tallow can be rendered from beef kidney fat yourself – the butcher usually gives it away for little money.

Raw milk: the German legal situation

In American animal-based guides, raw milk plays a big role. In Germany, the situation is different, and you should know that: the sale of raw milk is generally prohibited here. There are two exceptions – "milk at the farm," which is picked up directly from the producer and, according to the prescribed notice, must be boiled before consumption, as well as "premium milk" (Vorzugsmilch), a packaged raw milk from particularly controlled farms that may be drunk raw.^[21]

Even with premium milk, the presence of pathogens cannot be ruled out. The BfR advises sensitive groups – children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised people – to fundamentally avoid consuming unboiled raw milk.^[21] Anyone who wants to drink it should know this and weigh it up for themselves.

Why Animal Based and "Low Tox" overlap

Many who end up with us don't come through the topic of meat, but through another question: what is actually in it? Anyone who has started reading ingredient lists for cosmetics, cleaning agents, and convenience products will sooner or later end up at food.

The intersection is larger than both sides usually assume. Both approaches first ask about the degree of processing and origin, not nutritional tables. A piece of farm meat, an egg, butter, an apple – these are foods with one ingredient. The difference from a product with seventeen ingredients, three of which you can't pronounce, is not a nutritional detail but a fundamentally different category.

Three points where this shows up in everyday life:

Fat. Butter, ghee, tallow, and lard are heat-stable and do not require refining, bleaching, or deodorizing. Refined seed oils go through several industrial processing steps before they stand on the shelf. Anyone starting with fat changes little in their diet and much in the degree of processing.

Skin. Beef tallow as a skincare fat is not a trend, but what was in creams before petroleum chemistry. For people who reduce their cosmetics to a few understandable ingredients, it is the most obvious animal-based option.

Packaging. We fill our capsule products in amber glass instead of plastic jars. This is more expensive and logistically more complex – but it is the consequence of the same thought process from which someone replaces their storage containers.

What we don't do is use fear as an argument. "Free from" is not a statement about quality, and a long chemical name is not automatically a problem. The usable yardstick is not fear, but traceability – knowing what is inside, where it comes from, and why it is inside.

A weekly shopping list

As a guide for one person, without claiming to be exhaustive:

An animal-based day

Morning: Three eggs in butter, plus a handful of berries with a spoonful of honey. Coffee or tea.

Lunch: Ground meat skillet with onions and carrots, fried in tallow, generously salted. Plus a piece of cheese.

Afternoon: A cup of bone broth or a banana with honey.

Evening: Steak, with baked squash in butter. For dessert, quark with fruit. One day a week, this includes pan-fried liver instead of steak.

No calorie counting, no app. Stop when you're full.

Recipes: from getting started to the underestimated parts

Beef liver with onions

The classic beginner's recipe – and the trick to making liver taste good even to skeptics.

Cut 300 g of beef liver into finger-thick strips and soak in milk for 30 to 60 minutes. This significantly mellows the metallic flavor. Afterwards, drain and pat dry.

Slice two large onions into rings and sauté slowly in plenty of butter or tallow until golden brown; this takes about 15 minutes. Set onions aside, get the pan very hot, and sear the liver for only 1.5 to 2 minutes per side. It should still be slightly pink inside – overcooked liver becomes tough and bitter. Salt only after cooking, return the onions to the pan, and you're done.

Bone broth

Roast 2 kg of marrow bones and joint bones in the oven at 200 °C (392 °F) for about 30 minutes – this creates roasted aromas and makes the difference between a bland and a good broth.

Place bones in a large pot, cover with cold water, add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and let sit for half an hour. Then add one onion, two carrots, a bay leaf, and a few peppercorns. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then let simmer on the lowest heat for 12 to 24 hours – it must not reach a rolling boil.

Strain, let cool, remove the layer of fat and keep it; it is an excellent cooking fat. A good broth will set like jelly in the fridge. That is exactly the dissolved collagen.

Ground meat skillet for busy days

Sear 500 g of ground beef in tallow or butter, without stirring too early – the crust is where the flavor is. Add two onions and two grated carrots, and fry for another five minutes. Season generously with salt, pepper, and paprika. If you like, crack two eggs on top at the end and let them set.

Twenty minutes, one pot, keeps for three days in the fridge.

Braised beef shank – the most underrated cut of beef

Costs a fraction of a steak and provides the gelatin that is otherwise missing. The marrow in the bone is the best part.

Season four beef shanks generously with salt and sear them hard in tallow on both sides until a dark crust forms. Remove from the pan. Sauté two onions, two carrots, and a piece of celery in the same fat. Deglaze with 300 ml of water or broth, put the shanks back in, and add bay leaf and peppercorns.

Cover and braise in the oven at 150 °C (302 °F) for 3 hours. It is done when the meat falls off the bone with a spoon and the liquid gels as it cools. Remove the marrow with a narrow spoon and spread it on bread or directly onto the meat.

Beef heart goulash

Heart is the best introduction to organ meats because it isn't one: it tastes like lean beef. A whole heart usually costs less at the butcher than a steak.

Slice open 800 g of beef heart, trim away the tendons and the tough white strands inside – that is the only work step that counts. Cut the rest into 2 cm cubes.

Sear in tallow in batches so that it browns rather than boils. Add three onions and let them become translucent, stir in two tablespoons of paprika powder and immediately deglaze with 400 ml of broth, otherwise the paprika will become bitter. Braise on low heat for 90 minutes. Salt at the end; a splash of vinegar brightens it up.

Ox tongue with horseradish

Tongue is tender, fine-textured muscle meat and almost forgotten in Germany. The only reason hardly anyone cooks it is how it looks in its raw state.

Cover an ox tongue (1–1.5 kg) with cold water and add an onion, two carrots, bay leaf, peppercorns, and plenty of salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours.

Remove from the liquid while still hot, dip briefly in cold water – then the rough outer skin can be peeled off in one piece. That is the whole trick. Slice the tongue against the grain into thin slices and serve with freshly grated horseradish and a little of the broth. It's just as good cold the next day.

Liver pâté for liver skeptics

If you don't like liver whole, this is how to eat it anyway. The fat content and the onions mask the characteristic flavor almost completely. Please note the vitamin A quantity warning above – liver remains liver, even as pâté.

Clean 250 g of beef or veal liver and cut into pieces. Sauté two onions and two cloves of garlic in 80 g of butter until soft, add liver and fry for only 3 to 4 minutes until gray on the outside but still pink inside. Salt, pepper, a sprig of thyme.

Puree everything finely in a blender, incorporating another 80 g of soft butter. Put into a jar, smooth the surface, cover with a little clarified butter, and chill for at least 4 hours. Keeps for a week in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Animal Based the same as Carnivore?

No. Carnivore excludes all plant-based foods. Animal Based expressly includes fruit, honey, and usually vegetables as well.

How many carbohydrates does an animal-based diet have?

That depends on how much fruit and honey you eat. The diet is generally not ketogenic – those who are athletically active often consume a perfectly normal amount of carbohydrates, just from fruit instead of bread and pasta.

Do I need supplements?

There is no general answer to that; it belongs in a blood test, not a blog post. In Germany, vitamin D is an issue for a large part of the population in winter, regardless of the diet. Those who eat a lot of meat and little fish should keep an eye on iodine. Get tested instead of guessing.

Isn't that very expensive?

It can be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. The cheapest foods in this diet are at the same time the most nutrient-dense: liver, heart, bones, eggs, ground meat. It only becomes expensive if you exclusively buy premium cuts. Buying whole animals or meat packages directly from the producer lowers the price per kilogram significantly – more on that in the section on shopping in real life.

Does Animal Based work with supermarket meat?

Yes. The nutrient density of liver, heart, eggs, and ground meat does not depend on the place of purchase. Pasture-raising primarily changes the fatty acid profile – that is a real difference, but not an all-or-nothing one. Anyone who reduces the level of processing and replaces seed oils has covered the greater part of the journey, regardless of where they shop.

Do I really have to eat organ meats?

You don't have to do anything. But without organ meats, you are missing out on the most nutrient-dense part of the animal. If you don't like the taste, mix liver into ground meat or opt for dried organ supplements. Important note: Such preparations count toward the vitamin A maximum intake just like fresh liver.^[9] If you eat both, you should consider the quantities together – not separately.

For whom is this diet not suitable?

Anyone who is pregnant, has kidney or liver disease, suffers from a lipid metabolism disorder, or is taking medication should have major dietary changes accompanied by a doctor. For pregnant women, there is also the recommendation from the BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) to avoid liver.^[8] For children and adolescents, a significant dietary change also belongs in the hands of a doctor.

What about cholesterol?

The evaluation of dietary cholesterol has changed in recent years but remains a subject of professional discussion. The DGE (German Nutrition Society) continues to list saturated fatty acids and cholesterol as undesirable components of meat and sausage.^[4] Anyone switching diets should know their blood lipid values – before and a few months after.

Isn't it contradictory to sell animal products and simultaneously recommend less meat?

No, it is the only position we can take. We don't sell kilograms, but rather the parts of the animal that would otherwise be thrown away or processed into pet food. If someone buys less but better meat after reading this text and takes organ meats and bones with them instead, that is exactly the outcome we believe is right.

Isn't Animal Based bad for the climate?

Livestock farming accounts for a significant share of diet-related greenhouse gas emissions – that is one of the reasons why the DGE set its recommendations as it did.^[17] Anyone who ignores that is arguing dishonestly. Nevertheless, two things can be said: Pasture farming on grassland uses areas that are not suitable for agriculture, and anyone who utilizes an animal completely gets more food out of the same emissions. Neither changes the order of magnitude fundamentally. The most effective lever remains the quantity.

Isn't this just a justification for meat consumption?

This question is justified, and we answer it with what is in this text: the DGE recommendation in its entirety, the IARC classification, the BfR warning regarding liver during pregnancy, the European maximum intake for vitamin A, the note on the lack of fiber without plants. A justification text would have left all of that out.

What about people who eat a vegan diet?

Most people who eat a vegan diet have spent more time studying nutrition than the average person. They know the points that need to be adjusted – B12 above all, plus iron, zinc, iodine, and omega-3^[4][7] – and make their decision not despite this knowledge, but with it. That is a conscious weighing of different values, and it is not our place to judge them.

We are not positioning ourselves against plant-based nutrition, and we believe the question "who is right" is the wrong question. This text describes a diet and its evidence. It is not an argument against another.

What livestock-keeping tier should I buy at a minimum?

Consumer centers see a significantly improved standard starting from tier 3.^[11] But practically more meaningful than any tier is the direct route: a farm you can name and a butcher you can ask.

Are organ meats loaded with pollutants?

Liver and kidneys are metabolic organs; accordingly, the origin is more important here than with muscle meat. This is an argument for quality and against daily quantities – not against organ meats. The quantities mentioned above take this into account.

How do I start?

Not with a system change overnight. Four steps that work in this order: First, replace seed oils with butter and tallow. Second, cut out processed meat. Third, switch breakfast to eggs. Fourth, incorporate organ meats or bone broth once a week. Anyone who has stuck with it after four weeks has achieved more than someone who was perfect for three days.

Where we come into play

We are not nutritionists and do not want to sell you a lifestyle. What we do is a small, concrete part of it: making the parts of the animal available that are missing in standard retail.

Bone broth for days when 24 hours of cooking time is not possible. Collagen and gelatin as the connective tissue that is missing when eating pure muscle meat. And organ supplements for everyone who doesn't like the taste of liver but doesn't want to forgo the nutrients.

Everything without additives, with disclosed origin. Each batch is tested in an accredited German laboratory for microbiology and heavy metals – the test reports are publicly viewable.

However, the most important thing remains shopping at the butcher you trust. Supplements are supplements.

This article serves general information purposes and does not replace medical or nutritional therapy advice. In case of health problems or before major dietary changes, please consult a doctor.

Sources

1. Saladino P: The Carnivore Code. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020.
2. German Nutrition Society (DGE): Reference values for iron. dge.de
3. European Commission (2012): Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods. Consolidated version dated 17.05.2021. eur-lex.europa.eu
4. German Nutrition Society (DGE): Meat and sausage – less is more. dge.de
5. German Nutrition Society (DGE): Selected questions and answers regarding vitamin A. dge.de
6. German Nutrition Society (DGE): Selected questions and answers regarding zinc. dge.de
7. German Nutrition Society (DGE): FAQ vegan diet – omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin A. dge.de
8. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Risk assessment for pregnant women. bfr.bund.de
9. EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens: Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for preformed vitamin A and β-carotene. EFSA Journal 2024; 22(6): e8814. efsa.europa.eu
10. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Maximum quantity proposals for vitamin A in foods including dietary supplements (PDF). Data basis: Food Monitoring 2016 of the BVL. bfr.bund.de
11. Verbraucherzentrale: From husbandry systems to animal welfare – everything about animal husbandry labeling. verbraucherzentrale.de
12. Butler G, Ali AM, Oladokun S, Wang J, Davis H: Forage-fed cattle point the way forward for beef? Future Foods 3 (2021) 100012. sciencedirect.com
13. Simopoulos, A. P. (2008): The importance of the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio in cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. Experimental Biology and Medicine 233(6), 674–688. doi.org/10.3181/0711-MR-311 (PMID 18408140)
14. Krusinski L et al.: Nutritional composition of beef – a comparison of commercial North American grass- and grain-finishing systems. Journal of Animal Science, 2026. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
15. Federal Statistical Office: Livestock survey, reference date May 3, 2026, press release from June 26, 2026. destatis.de
16. World Health Organization (2015): Cancer – Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. Questions and Answers. who.int – Primary source: Bouvard, V. et al. (2015): Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. The Lancet Oncology 16(16), 1599–1600. doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00444-1 (PMID 26514947). Complete monograph: IARC (2018): Red Meat and Processed Meat. IARC Monographs Vol. 114.
17. German Nutrition Society: FAQ on food-based dietary guidelines. dge.de
18. German Environment Agency (07.05.2024): Sustainable nutrition in practice – ensuring "planetary health" with the new DGE recommendations (PDF). umweltbundesamt.de
19. German Nutrition Society: Preamble to the meal plans of the new DGE recommendations (PDF). dge.de
20. Consumer Association of Hamburg: Do meat and sausage really cause cancer? vzhh.de
21. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (as of 06.09.2024): Avoiding infections – what to consider when consuming raw milk? bfr.bund.de

Further legal bases and literature

• Cancer Information Service, German Cancer Research Center (18.03.2024): New dietary recommendations for Germany. krebsinformationsdienst.de
• Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (31.03.2026): Mandatory information – What does the code on the egg mean? bmleh.de
• Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (23.01.2024): Lectins in plant-based foods – Is there a health risk? Opinion No. 003/2024. doi.org/10.17590/20240121-185904-0
• German Nutrition Society: Reference values for protein. dge.de
• German Nutrition Society: Reference values for dietary fiber. dge.de
• Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (12.07.2024): Healthier grilling – How to avoid foodborne infections and the formation of harmful substances. Communication No. 034/2024. bfr.bund.de
• Robert Koch Institute (2016): Vitamin D status in Germany. Journal of Health Monitoring 1(2), Fact Sheet. rki.de
• Consumer Association (as of 05.08.2026): Cooking oils – which ones are suitable for what? verbraucherzentrale.de

Sources last checked on 09/17/2026.