A lot of people have asked me this question; what does it cost to be on Carnivore? If you look at the prices of meat these days, it can be daunting to think about making a grocery run, though people fail to realize the amount of items that aren’t going in their grocery carts. There are a lot of items that you won’t be eating any longer, and they are not going to be missed, because they all contributed to negative effects on your body, even without your immediate knowledge. Take Sugar for instance. It has been long hypothesized that Saturated Fats were the cause of Heart Disease. All of the data pointing in this direction were from studies that focused on the presence of cholesterol in the blocked areas, thus concluding that it was the culprit, but no one looked at underlying issues. It was also well known at the time that sugar caused damage to arteries, though only one school of thought won out. It is known in certain circles that a food lobby by the name of Big Sugar is responsible for a lot of manipulation in our food supply. Sugar is added to foods that normally don’t call for it in a home recipe, but purchase it premade and it is generally an ingredient, or under a hidden name. In the early 1900’s the average American consumed less than 1 pound of sugar in a year. Today they consume 54.5 pounds, most of which is consumed in beverages or processed foods. By taking this sole ingredient out of your cart, your wallet and your body will thank you!
Next on the list is Grains. This comes in many forms, from Crackers, Cookies, Cakes, Bread, Buns, Cereals, Donuts, Pastries, you have the base ingredients of flour and their raw form, and I am sure I missed a few iterations. There is a plethora of ailments associated with the ingestion of grains, let alone one of their key byproducts; Carbohydrates. They tend to have no protein or fat unless it is added to the recipe; otherwise this is a key source of carbs in the modern diet, aside from vegetables.
I am sure many of you were wondering when vegies entered the fray, and this is something I truly don’t mind avoiding. Plants don’t like being eaten, is the easiest way to say it. They have defense mechanisms in the form of chemicals that they produce to ward off anything that might view it as food. Over time, we have cultivated plants that are more acceptable to our digestive system, as many of the vegies that you see in the market don’t exist in the wild. One of the more problematic vegies was Brussels sprouts. Back in the late 80’s, it wasn’t a popular plate option, but it was a plant that scientists wanted to play with to see if people would favor it more? They genetically altered the plant, by removing the bitter gene, which then made the plant more edible, but overlooking the reason of its bitterness. Did you know that it has 132 carcinogenic properties? This little guy does not like being a menu option, and they made it so sweet that it once represented 30% of Britain’s Ag sector and is still the world’s largest producer.
Then there is Snacks. This can be represented in a ton of options. Candy, Ice Cream, Potato Chips, Pop and Fast foods, though with most of these products, their base ingredients are already mentioned above, so why repeat? The key culprit in this category is Seed Oils. They are by far the most insidious food items on the market, created solely to maximize profit. Initially these products were used in machines as a lubricant, not meant for human consumption, but ultimately corporations pressed forward to replace the natural oils in our food supply like animal fats, due to their low cost and lack of flavor. First it was cotton seed, then corn oil when technology enabled the harvesting of the oils from these products, rather than throwing them out. Products like Crisco hit the market and with millions behind an advertising campaign, it soon became a family favorite. Proctor and Gamble the company behind Crisco funded the American Heart Association to the tune of 1.7 million dollars in the 1950’s and suddenly this product was the savior for Heart Disease, when today it is sought as a potential culprit. There are many factors that can contribute to Heart Disease, and many of the products mentioned here have direct links, so again I see no issues in avoiding them.
So when you factor all of these items in, or out; your pantry, let alone your cart will be somewhat empty. You are buying Eggs, Butter, Bacon, and Beef, no Cereal, no Snacks, no auxiliaries that are needed for side dishes, no vegetables (which have also skyrocketed in price), just meat. My diet is simple and cost effective. I eat 6 eggs and 2 pounds of ground beef daily. Sometimes I will opt to have a large steak, in the place of the ground beef and I consider this a weekly treat, or I will have some ribs or a more elaborate meal. The benefit is there are a lot of options when it comes to Carnivore. Plus you are not restricted to just Beef, though ruminant animals are the most nutrient dense, you also have pork (Bacon), Chicken, Lamb, Fish, or any animal that is readily available and within your price range. There is a lot of flexibility, no need to count calories, just eat until you are comfortably full, and remember to drink plenty of Water and Real Salt your food.
As a side note;
I read a poll on Twitter, asking what the average person’s daily diet costs were, and they were focusing on low income. The average was $21 USD on the high end, and $12 USD on the low, which many pondered how anyone could maintain a healthy body on such a low value? Surprisingly it is very possible!