One of the more polarising modern diets, compared honestly against a data-driven scoring model.
Carnivore is one of the more polarising modern diets, and it's worth being straightforward: the evidence base behind it is much thinner than for patterns like Mediterranean-style eating. THE FAD doesn't take a side on whether to try it — but it will score the inflammatory signals within it like any other eating pattern.
| Dimension | Carnivore | THE FAD |
|---|---|---|
| Core rule | Animal products only — meat, fish, eggs, some dairy | No food group is excluded — quality and pattern matter more than category |
| Fibre & plant diversity | Deliberately excluded | A meaningfully weighted signal within Food |
| Community claims | Some report reduced symptoms; evidence is largely anecdotal so far | Draws on the broader, more established research base across all five pillars |
| How it might score | Can vary widely — quality of meat and organ variety matter a lot | Depends entirely on the specific pattern, not the label "carnivore" itself |
A carnivore approach built around quality meat, organ meats and fish can score reasonably on some signals (protein quality, low sugar) while scoring poorly on others (fibre, plant diversity, omega-3 balance depends heavily on fish intake specifically). THE FAD reflects that mixed picture rather than a blanket verdict.
The best way to understand the difference is to see what a real day scores.
Try the calculator