Is there a cost to going carnivore?
Of course there is. But you get what you pay for.
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 Feet
Modern health care is expensive. Not because it’s effective—if that were the case, we’d be healthier. No, it’s expensive because it treats symptoms instead of fixing causes. And the #1 cause it ignores? Diet. Not in the “eat more leafy greens” sense, but in the real sense: what evolution built us to eat.
Enter the 7th C of Carnivorism: Cost—a concept that’s not just about dollars, but about time, energy, and metabolic debt.
“Wait,” Mr. Skeptical says, “You’re telling me to spend $14.99 on grass-fed liverwurst instead of $2.99 for a frozen pizza?”
“Yes, I am. Because if you don’t pay the farmer now, you’ll pay the doctor later. And the doctor doesn’t take Bitcoin.”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 Feet
The real cost of food isn’t just the number on the barcode. It’s the total cost of ownership, like a car. That $2.99 pizza might cost you:
Lost insulin sensitivity
Subclinical inflammation
Dopamine dysregulation
A future filled with statins, metformin, and probable colonoscopies
Compare that to nutrient-dense, nose-to-tail carnivore fare—eggs, liver, sardines, suet—that actually reverses chronic inflammation and rebuilds your metabolism. Cost per calorie? Maybe higher. Cost per mitochondria saved? Bargain bin.
Mr. Skeptical snorts. “Still sounds like a scam for rich people with no taste buds.”
Ah, the eternal argument from immediate gratification. He’s like a dopamine molecule with a Twitter account.
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
Mr. Skeptical and I go to Wendy’s, and he orders the above triple patty, which costs about $8.89. I order 3 beef patties with cheese à la carte. Sometimes, depending on who’s working at Wendy’s, I may get served right away or spend 10 minutes explaining what I want. Sometimes the price of going carnivore is more than just money, lol. However, I avoid all that filler food, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and bread. I get what’s below for around the same price.
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
Let’s get practical:
$10/lb for grass-fed ground beef = 4 meals = $2.50/meal
Add an egg and tallow = $1.00
Total = $3.50 per meal
“That’s cheaper than your average fast-casual lunch. And you don’t get a side of polyunsaturated seed oil and shame.”
Mr. Skeptical chimes in again: “But what about variety? What about joy?”
“Try joy without joint pain. Try visiting your doctor, and he doesn’t say, “watch it with the sugar, you're getting close to being pre-diabetic.”
Mr. Skeptical puts on an annoyed face and looks away.
“You don’t need a trust fund to eat carnivore. You need clarity, conviction, and a freezer. Next time you balk at the price of ribeye, ask yourself: what’s the ROI on not developing metabolic syndrome?”
“I’m still not convinced,” says Mr. Skeptical as he removes a piece of lettuce stuck between his teeth. “I’m thinking of getting a frosty.”
I smile, remembering how, as a teenager, I used to love them…until they started giving me stomach aches. “You go ahead and do that, if I’m still hungry after my three beef patties, then I’ll just have another beef patty.”
Be Aware.
Other links related to this post:
Wealth Over Health?
Filler Foods!!??
Mind Over Food PS Links on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Full disclosure: Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.
PSS My 2nd Live LinkedIn event on Zoom will be June 14th at 11 AM Eastern. It will be about the high cholesterol controversy. Register here on LinkedIn.
Thank you! Pay the farmer now or the doctor later 👍