Inside Robert F Kennedy Jr's controversial diet of red meat and fermented foodsPublished 16:13 2 Feb 2026 GMT The politician has even roped his wife into helping him achieve his diet goalsby Ella Scott Robert F Kennedy Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, has never shied away from discussing his controversial diet ideas with the public. Last month alone, the 72-year-old shared new US dietary guidelines, proclaiming that the ‘war on saturated fats’ was over, and presenting the idea that American’s should eat copious amounts of meat and cheese while keeping whole grain consumption to a minimum. Now, the environmental lawyer has defended the eyebrow-raising carnivore diet, claiming it has helped him lose a large amount of ‘visceral fat’. What is the carnivore diet?The carnivore plan is a restrictive diet usually consisting of meat, fish, eggs, seafood, and some more meat-derived products, such as cheese and butter, as per Harvard Health. Shannon Haynes, RD, a registered dietitian at Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, explained that the extreme ketogenic grub explicitly restricts carbohydrates, alleging that the body gets its energy by ‘burning fat instead’. “[It’s] supposed to speed up the breakdown of fat, improve blood sugar and decrease inflammation,” she told Hartford Healthcare. However, studies suggest that the carnivore diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies, increase inflammation risk due to the copious amount of red meat consumed, and put stress on the kidneys. Dr Mia Kazanjian, a board-certified radiologist in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital that anyone thinking of embarking on the idea should speak to a doctor first. "As a physician focused on cancer prevention, I recommend a Mediterranean diet, largely plant-based, with whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, for optimal health and longevity," she added. RFK Jr defends the carnivore dietIn a new interview with USA Today’s Extremely Normal show, RFK Jr has admitted he is ‘on a carnivore diet’. “I only eat meat or fermented foods,” he said, adding that his daily meal plan ‘may not be right for other people’ and that he didn’t want to ‘make [himself] a role model for what people should do and shouldn't do’. As well as claiming to have lost fat by solely consuming meat, animal-based products, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, the Republican alleged his diet had helped improve his cognitive ability. The politician celebrated his 72nd birthday last month with a plate of steak (X/@HHSGov) "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,” he claimed. However, he acknowledged that some of the so-called ‘enormous benefits’ could be put down to a placebo effect. Does the carnivore diet help you lose weight?Yasi Ansari, senior dietitian at UCLA Health Santa Monica, has spoken about RFK Jr’s weight-loss claims. “Technically, it’s possible to lose visceral fat on any diet in the short term," she told USA Today. "Anytime we restrict calories or significantly change the diet, we may see reductions in visceral fat in the short-term.” However, she added: “The long-term health benefits of consuming a diet rich in fibre 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.” RFK Jr's fermented foodsAs well as tucking into plates of meaty madness, the father-of-six apparently enlists the help of his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, to carry fermented foods around for him. Cheryl Hines reportedly carries around fermented foods for her husband (David Crotty/Getty Images) "I’ll have my little clutch, one of my good bags that I only take out every once in a while because I want to keep them nice, and he’ll hand me a bag of sauerkraut and say, 'Can you put this in your bag?'" the 60-year-old Curb Your Enthusiasm star said to The Cut. In January, the Washington DC native celebrated his 72nd birthday with a plate of steak, rather than a traditional sweet cake. “No cake, just steak. Happy Birthday @SecKennedy! We are so grateful for your leadership and determination to Make America Healthy Again,” wrote the official X account for the Department of Health and Human Services. ARTICLE SOURCE: https://www.foodbible.com/news/celebrity/rfk-jr-carnivore-diet-fermented-foods-explained-951518-20260202
My son tried the carnivore diet, lost 12 or so pounds and then gave it up after about three weeks. I thought I would give it a try. Like most, men I just opened the box and didn't read any of the directions. LOL It took me a week to come off the Mountain Dew but went straight to an all-meat diet. For me, being a boring eater anyway, it has been relatively easy on just meats. The weight immediately started to fall off as I am 6'2" and was 306lbs. 6 pounds the first week and 9 the second week, give or take a day. I rolled onto my 12-hour rotating shifts and did the carnivore thing but only ate once a day. After that rotation I had lost over 20lbs and just this past weekend I had lost 30 pounds in 32 days. I have eaten nothing but meats and eggs from the start. I did continue to use drink mixers as I am not that big on drinking just water. This past week I decided to do some research.
The weight loss has been amazing, and I am no one to scream, "Hey look at me" but.....I have NMO/Devic's, autoimmune disease similar to Multiple Sclerosis. After a string of 12–14-hour night shifts I have pain in my upper back and at the base of my neck due to the inflammation from stenosis and healed lesions. For the last couple of years, the days after the string of night shifts, I take a prednisone for the inflammation, and it keeps me going. This week as I read about the benefits of the carnivore diet in regard to inflammation and I remembered I didn't need the prednisone this past week.
I didn't do any electrolytes, vitamins or supplements the first 32 days. Just meats and water. I felt fine other than a bout with diarrhea that was rather severe. The first day I tried an electrolyte drink I felt like I was bloated like a balloon. Lots of gas as well.
I'm into the second 60 second day stint. I don't really have any weight loss goals just get healthier.
I feel great and I the morning oohs and ahhs are gone.
Time will tell.
Scott