ByAnna Skinner
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the latest high-profile official to weigh in on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial eating regimen, dismissing it as a “crazy diet” centered on meat and fermented vegetables. Speaking on The Katie Miller Podcast on Tuesday, Rubio said the approach was not sustainable, joking that he was unwilling to “travel the world with a cooler full of sauerkraut.”
Rubio’s remarks come as Kennedy continues to champion what has been described as a “living carnivore” diet, a plan that emphasizes red meat, organ meats and fermented foods while largely excluding many staples of conventional nutrition advice. Kennedy has also promoted intermittent fasting and earlier this year unveiled an “inverted” federal food pyramid that places animal-based foods and protein near the foundation of daily eating recommendations
The debate has reignited questions about whether Kennedy’s dietary philosophy represents a healthier alternative to mainstream nutrition guidance or a restrictive trend that could carry long-term risks
Newsweekreached out to HHS by email for comment
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RFK Jr.’s “Living Diet:” Pros and Cons, According to Experts
Nutrition experts who spoke with Newsweekagreed that some elements of Kennedy’s approach align with established dietary recommendations. However, they also warned that the diet’s heavy emphasis on meat and its exclusion of several major food groups raise concerns about nutritional balance, sustainability and potential health consequences
“There are certainly some positive pieces here—eating more vegetables, fermented foods and minimally processed foods,limiting alcohol and highly processed foods, and getting adequate protein are all reasonable nutrition habits. But those principles aren’t unique to this diet, and you don’t need to follow a restrictive or highly specific eating pattern to get the benefits,” Caroline Thomason Bunn, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist, told Newsweek. However, she also stressed that she wouldn’t recommend the diet “as a necessary or uniquely beneficial approach” for most patients.
Bethany Doerfler, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine, noted that nutrition professionals generally support limiting ultra-processed foods and increasing consumption of whole foods and produce. She added that fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi and yogurt can provide digestive benefits and contribute to a healthy eating pattern
Roxana Ehsani, a registered dietitian nutritionist, similarly identified reduced consumption of highly processed foods and increased intake of fermented foods as among the clearest advantages of Kennedy’s approach
“Pros: This diet focuses on cutting out highly processed foods and incorporates fermented foods which can support gut health,” Ehsani told Newsweek
Experts also acknowledged that some people may experience weight loss while following the diet, particularly if it reduces calorie consumption or replaces heavily processed foods with more nutrient-dense alternatives. However, they cautioned that those benefits do not necessarily validate the diet as a uniquely healthy or superior approach
One of the primary concerns raised was the diet’s emphasis on red meat and organ meats
“Increasing red and organ meats needs to be done carefully, if at all,” Doerfler told Newsweek, adding that current dietary guidelines suggest limiting daily intake of saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of total calories. Red meats and organ meats “contain the most” saturated fats, she said
Americans wanting to increase their protein intake would do better to eat plant-based proteins, such as legumes, tofu, lentils, and nuts, Doerfler said, as well as lean animal proteins like fish and poultry over more red meat
Thomason Bunn warned that some followers may mistakenly interpret Kennedy’s approach as evidence that eating more meat is automatically better for health
“The biggest red flag for me would be the potential for people to interpret a very meat-heavy diet as meaning that more meat is inherently better for health,” she said
She pointed to extensive research supporting diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, foods that may be minimized or excluded under stricter carnivore-style eating plans
Ehsani was even more direct, saying she would not recommend the diet to patients because it eliminates too many nutritious foods
“This diet is missing some of the most nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and seafood,” she said
According to Ehsani, removing entire food groups can increase the risk of vitamin, mineral and fiber deficiencies over time. She said the diet is similar to other restrictive eating plans that promise health improvements while limiting dietary variety
Asked who might benefit most from the plan, Ehsani’s answer was: “No one.”
Intermittent Fasting
Another component of Kennedy’s health philosophy is intermittent fasting, which involves limiting eating to specific windows during the day. Experts offered a more nuanced assessment of that practice, as well
Doerfler said the safest form of intermittent fasting may simply be an overnight fast of around 12 hours. She recommends establishing an evening eating cutoff around 7:30 p.m. to allow digestion to occur and reduce late-night snacking
Importantly, she said intermittent fasting itself is not necessarily superior to other weight-loss strategies
“[Intermittent fasting] does not outperform continuous calorie restriction but rather it is a mechanism to cut calories,” Doerfler said
Thomason Bunn agreed that fasting can provide structure for some individuals but argued that it should not be viewed as a metabolic “magic tool.”
“For many people, the benefits are simply a result of eating fewer calories or having a more consistent eating schedule,” she said
She cautioned that fasting may be inappropriate for individuals with a history of restrictive eating or certain medical conditions
Ehsani echoed those concerns, noting that excessively long fasting windows can make it difficult for people to consume enough nutrients throughout the day
“Some research has shown benefits for certain individuals who [follow] intermittent fasting,” she said. “But it really depends on the person, window you are fasting, and for how long you are doing it.”
Ultimately, the experts told Newsweekthat while Kennedy’s diet contains elements supported by nutrition science, particularly its emphasis on reducing processed foods and incorporating fermented foods, they would not recommend adopting a highly restrictive meat-focused eating pattern
Instead, they said the strongest evidence continues to support a more balanced approach that includes a wide variety of plant foods, lean proteins, healthy fats and fiber-rich carbohydrates
As Thomason Bunn put it, the best nutrition advice is often the least flashy: eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose a variety of protein
Those habits may sound boring, she said, but they remain far more likely to improve health over the long run than the latest diet trend
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech andGray R. Thomas
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