RFK Jr. only eats meat, fermented foods. The carnivore diet, explained.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went into detail about his own eating habits during a conversation with USA TODAY's Extremely Normal show. So what exactly does he eat, and what do nutrition experts think about it?
“I am on a carnivore diet. I only eat meat or fermented foods,” RFK Jr. said.
The carnivore diet is an animal-based diet that allows meats, fish and small amounts of dairy, registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau previously told USA TODAY.
That means cutting out vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, Harvard Health adds.
"It’s extremely restrictive and cuts out many, many nutritious foods that are proven by research to be health-promoting," Nadeau says, most notably adding that "the carnivore diet isn’t evidence-based, meaning there is no research to validate its claims."
No cake, just steak.
Happy Birthday @SecKennedy! We are so grateful for your leadership and determination to Make America Healthy Again. pic.twitter.com/24ft79L1tm— HHS (@HHSGov) January 17, 2026
The diet doesn't exactly align with Kennedy's updated U.S. dietary guidelines, which prioritize protein but also includes other food groups in the newly inverted food pyramid.
"This, in some ways, overlaps with the carnivore diet’s avoidance of ultra processed foods and refined carbohydrates. However, the current dietary guidelines also continue to encourage fruit and vegetable intake for overall health, which the carnivore diet does not include," Yasi Ansari, senior dietitian at UCLA Health Santa Monica, told USA TODAY.
Weight loss on the carnivore diet
Though Kennedy said he didn't want to be a "role model for what people should do and shouldn't do" at a different point in the interview, he said he's seen an "enormous benefit" from switching to this way of eating, claiming he lost significant weight in a short period of time.
"(The diet) may not be right for other people, but I lost 40% of my visceral fat within a month," Kennedy said. "The way I feel, my mental clarity, my word retrieval, I had noticeable improvements, and you can attribute some of that to placebo effect, but I lost 20 pounds in 20 days when I switched to this diet."
Visceral fat is a type of fat that lines your abdominal walls and wraps around many of your internal organs, the Cleveland Clinic explains. While it's beneficial in protecting your organs, too much has been linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease.
Many proponents of the diet have cited similar side effects, saying it aided in weight loss, similar to keto and other no-carb diets.
"Technically, it’s possible to lose visceral fat on any diet in the short term," Ansari said. "Anytime we restrict calories or significantly change the diet, we may see reductions in visceral fat in the short-term."
In the long-term, however, experts argue it's not realistic and can cause other health issues.
"Not only do most people gain weight back after the diet becomes unsustainable, but many end up with disordered behaviors around food," Nadeau said, adding restrictive dieting is "really unnecessary and usually backfires for most people."
Ansari said there's not enough evidence to support its long-term benefits.
"Quite frankly, any approach that restricts fiber-rich carbohydrates can negatively impact gut health," she said. "The long-term health benefits of consuming a diet rich in fiber from whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, chickpeas and lentils − alongside lean proteins − far outweigh the short-term results that may be seen with a highly restrictive, fad diet."
Plus, increasing fiber intake can decrease the risk of chronic disease, Ansari added.
Cholesterol and other carnivore diet concerns
As a dietitian, Ansari said she does not recommend the carnivore diet due to its "highly restrictive nature" that can lead to nutritional deficiencies over time.
"Eliminating all plant foods increases the risk of missing key vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients that support cardiovascular and digestive health," she said.
Just like keto, the fats consumed in a carnivore diet are mostly saturated fat, which can negatively impact cholesterol. Diets high in saturated fats are linked to heart disease, according to Harvard Health, and the carnivore diet in particular also poses risks including kidney stones and kidney impairment, gout and osteoporosis.
"There is solid evidence that shows a well-balanced diet full of plant-based foods is health promoting and none to prove that there are benefits to the carnivore diet," Nadeau said.
Contributing: Hannah Yasharoff
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr. says he eats a carnivore diet. What is it?
