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
We went to West Virginia this weekend riding side by sides up and down the mountains. Had a blast.
Several of the people on the trip I had not seen since pre-carnivore.
As we discussed the Carnivore approach it was almost 'fun' listening to the "question and answer session". There were a husband/wife couple who were both in the medical field, one a nurse and the other in the lab. As I described the things I cut out and the now it is only meat, salt and water adding that I try to eat red, fatty cuts of meat the majority of time, I actually got a lecture on the things I was missing in my diet. What about Vitamin C? What about fiber? Where are you getting your greens from and what are you doing for anti-oxidants? I explained each the best I could.
For me the irony was standing there with about an 8 ounce rib-eye out of a napkin with a bottle of water I brought from home while they covered the shortcomings of a carnivore diet whilst eating bags of Doritos/Hot Fries, cold Pizza and drinking beer (copious amounts of beer).
Another part of the irony was that was me just a few months ago and I don't feel like I have done near the research I probably need to do as I slowly transition from this being a Carnivore Diet to being a "Carnivore Lifestyle". Ignorance is bliss but it is also fattening and detrimental to one's health.
With that said, a great group of people and we had a blast up and down the mountains. Some flat out racing, some cruising and some sketch hill climbs, but a blast all the same. It is a great part of the country to vacation/do a weekend ride.
Plus, this weekend was six months on the diet. No medicines since late May and down 75lbs. I feel as good as I have in a really, really long time. I was the 55 year (old guy in the group) old guy walking down the side of the mountain to find out if the path was blocked then walking back up. These 25–28-year-old (kids) stopping half-way back up to catch their breath/grab a second wind.
Maybe there is some irony there as well. LOL
Scott