The Ultimate Joe Rogan Diet Guide: How To Stay on Top

Ultimate Joe Rogan Diet Guide

Joe Rogan’s relentless focus on a wholesome diet serves as the cornerstone of his ability to meet the demands of his hectic lifestyle and maintain peak physical performance. In addition to his intense podcast recording schedule, comedy tours, and UFC commentary, he juggles the responsibilities of a dedicated husband and father while indulging in his favorite pastimes like bowhunting, Jiu-Jitsu, and billiards.

How does Rogan manage it all? By prioritizing intense attention to his diet, it allows him to navigate the demands of his busy lifestyle.

Joe Rogan’s diet primarily consists of elk, steak, wild game, salmon, eggs, avocado, jalapeños, mushrooms, and a variety of green vegetables, with a focus on steering clear of sugar and carbohydrates. Additionally, he occasionally adopts a carnivore diet, limiting his intake exclusively to meat, and frequently practices intermittent fasting, observing a 16-hour fast followed by an 8-hour eating window.

“I do everything that I can to put my body and my brain in a good place.”

– Joe Rogan

Please keep in mind that Rogan is a chronic experimenter with his workouts and diets, and maybe you should too. With all this in mind, let’s take a deep dive into Rogan’s diet and how he fuels his body for optimal performance.

A Few Simple Principles of Joe Rogan’s diet

Joe Rogan has mentioned that carbs are his downfall, especially pasta and bread. Who doesn’t love a creamy chicken Alfredo pasta? The key is maintain discipline while still enjoying life by using cheat days.

Also, he mentioned that when necessary he will indulge in fast food, like a Five Guys burger and fries, In-N-Out burgers, and even McDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish sandwiches. Just get back on track the next day.

The main and most important tenets of Joe Rogan’s diet are:

  1. Eat lots of meat, preferably elk & wild game
  2. Eat low carb, avoid refined sugar
  3. Eat your veggies, preferably greens
  4. Intermittent fast – 16 hours fasting, 8 hours eating
  5. Make it spicy, add some jalapeños and hot sauce
  6. Drink lots of fluids
  7. Sneak in some healthy snacks

Now let’s get into the particular foods that Rogan eats on a weekly basis.

Also See: Joe Rogan’s Workout and Exercise Guide: A Legend in the Gym

Joe Rogan’s Diet: Foods, Drinks, & Snacks

1. Eat Your Meat

Rogan’s diet primarily revolves around meat, particularly the type he personally hunts, providing him with free-range, wild, organic, non-GMO, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free options.

Elk

Elk is an animal that climbs mountains, trudges through snow – all while running away from grizzly bears and wolf packs. The meat is very dense, flavorful, and packed with healthy, lean protein.

Also see: How Joe Rogan Cooks Steak & Elk: A Mouth-Watering Recipe!

Of all the types of meat, elk is definitely Rogan’s favorite. If you have listened to his podcast, chances are you’ve heard him talk about elk quite a bit. He suggests that by eating elk, you will notice a significant difference in your mojo, energy, and masculinity.

Wild game variety

The majority of Rogan’s meat consumption, except for occasional fast-food indulgences, consists of wild game that he hunts personally. His freezer is stocked with a surprising variety of animal meats, including moose, elk, deer, bear, and pig, all sourced from his hunting expeditions.

Salmon

Rogan also loves a good salmon.

“A healthy, wild salmon, that is an animal that is out there hustling…making its way upriver. You eat one of those things, it’s just loaded with nutrients and essentials (fats, proteins).”

-Joe Rogan

Eggs

Rogan has chickens in his backyard, using them to harvest free-range eggs. He’s said there is a big difference in his eggs, as compared to the eggs you get at a grocery store because they are “prisoners”. On #1268 with Ron White, Rogan describes how coyotes killed the last 9 chickens he had.

Sushi

While Joe Rogan is known for his dedication to the low-carb lifestyle, one of his cherished culinary indulgences is sushi. Despite not aligning with the low-carb regimen he often follows, sushi is a go-to for his cheat days. A quick look at his Instagram page reveals his frequent outings to sushi restaurants, showcasing his love for this Japanese delicacy.

2. Side Dishes – Eat Your Veggies

Besides meat, Rogan eats a lot of vegetables with a focus on fiber. The importance of getting good fiber in your diet helps you poop better. And Dr. Rhonda Patrick explained on the JRE podcast #901 that your healthy gut bacteria thrives on fiber, so having plenty of it in your diet is crucial.

On a JRE podcast, Rogan told his buddy Bret Kreischer, who was trying to lose weight, that the first thing he should do is to start eating a lot of vegetables. He mentioned, especially broccoli, spinach, kale, and basically all the “greens.”

Jalapeños

Perhaps Rogan’s favorite side dish is jalapeños. On his Instagram he posted: “Elk and jalapeños for life!” He eats jalapeños several different ways, raw and sliced up, or whole and roasted in his Traeger grill while cooking his elk roasts.

Joe Rogan Elk and Jalapenos
Source: Joe Rogan’s Instagram

Asparagus

Rogan regularly includes asparagus in his meals as a healthy side dish because it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, aligning with his focus on fitness and overall well-being.

Kale

Kale, the alpha male of greens, is a powerhouse for your body, offering a multitude of benefits listed by Healthline, such as rich fiber, nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Don’t forget to include the stalk for maximum health benefits. While Joe Rogan once favored kale-heavy green smoothies, lately, he pairs kale with wild game meat.

Zucchini Noodles

Rogan tries to avoid his kryptonite, which is processed carbs and pasta. One great substitute for pasta noodles is to make your own “zoodles”, noodles made out of zucchini. On his podcast, he said he does this at home sometimes, as you can see in this Instagram post.

Broccoli

If kale is the king of greens, broccoli is not far behind. Broccoli is a super healthy cruciferous green vegetable that’s packed with nutrients. It’s been linked to lowering cancer risks and boosting your immune system.

Here’s Rogan showing off some broccoli from his Instagram page:

broccoli
Source: Joe Rogan’s Instagram

Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a huge fan of broccoli too. If you want to take your health another step even further, she suggests getting some broccoli “sprouts” or young broccoli before the plant has developed. You can even make them at home pretty easily.

Morel Mushrooms

Another side dish that is a favorite of Rogan’s is morel mushrooms, which carry an earthy and nutty flavor. No, these are not the psychedelic kind, which Rogan has been known to intake too.

Rogan was first educated about morel mushrooms from friend and hunting companion Doug Duren. Rogan called them “outstanding”, and bought them online and re-hydrated them with a salt water brine.

3. Eat Your Fats

Keep in mind that fat is not your enemy. Getting “good” fat in your diet is critical for cellular health, muscular health, brain health, and having good energy levels, according to the Harvard School of Health.

Avocados

Rogan loves to indulge on some avocados because they are delicious and pack huge health benefits. They have more potassium than bananas, are loaded with fiber, and have tons of healthy fatty acids.

He mentioned on his podcast that when he eats a salad he likes to top it with an avocado and a piece of meat. Avocados make a nice pairing with elk too, as seen in his Instagram post, “Elk and avocado. That’s what’s up.”

elk and avocado
Source: Joe Rogan’s Instagram

Coconut Oil

Rogan put on social media that he has been cooking his veggies in Nutiva brand coconut oil, noting that it adds a delicious flavor.

joe rogan twitter coconut oil

Also, he puts coconut oil in his morning coffee sometimes, a method recommended by his Onnit brand partnership in this article.

Almond butter

Almond butter, made from ground up almonds, is a great source of healthy fat. It packs a similar nutritional label as peanut butter, but contains more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Rogan is big into the various “nut butters” available from his partnership with Onnit.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a great source of powerful antioxidants, Omega 3, and Omega 6 fatty acids. Rogan likes to use it when cooking or on his salads.

rogan tweet about olive oil

4. Snacks and Misc.

Sometimes Rogan can’t help himself and gets a craving he can’t overcome. Fortunately, there are some healthy options that he has found to like.

Carnivore Snax

One of Rogan’s new favorite snacks, Carnivore Snax, offers him the benefit of both low-carb and sticking to a carnivore diet. The ingredients of Carnivore Snax are just meat and salt, essentially making them a delicious “meat” chip.

Dried Chile Mangos

Rogan told Jimmy Dore on JRE #1412 that when he was doing the carnivore diet, of only meat, he cheated and had two small pieces of chile mango, and an olive. He couldn’t resist.

Chile Mangos are dried mango with some added chile spice on top. Rogan has described them as “f***ing delicious”. Although Rogan got them from Trader Joe’s, which I have too, you can also get them online from Amazon for a reasonable price.

Kimchi

“I take a lot of probiotics.” – Joe Rogan

Rogan cares a lot about his gut health and healthy gut bacteria. Along with kombucha, he likes to include kimchi in his diet, often paired with elk steak.

There are over 100 trillion bacteria cells in your gut flora that break down your food, make vitamins and minerals, and make up your immune system. Interesting fun fact: There are more gut bacteria cells in your gut flora than people that have ever lived on Earth.

5. Drink Your Fluids

Water

Rogan drinks a ton of water, and he has to for the busy schedule he keeps. He mentioned on podcast episode JRE MMA #30 with Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch that he likes to add a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to his water, and sometimes even some lemon.

Water is essential for normal body and cell function, flushing the toxins, aiding digestion, muscular health, and recovery from hard workouts.

Coffee

For just plain coffee, Rogan likes the Black Rifle Coffee Company brand coffee, founded by former U.S. Army Green Beret – Evan Hafer. When he records a morning podcast, you can often see him with a steaming cup of “Joe.”

As seen on the JRE podcast, Rogan often sips on some Caveman Nitro Cold-Brew Coffee, his preferred choice for cold coffee. This coffee is sugar free, keto and paleo approved, doesn’t require refrigeration and can be consumed from a can. It is a must have for a quick grab of caffeine energy.

Also see: Joe Rogan’s Favorite Coffee – Everything You Need to Know

Kombucha

Kombucha is a consistent, frequent item in Rogan’s diet. Usually somewhat tangy, it is a drink that consists of powerful antioxidants, probiotics, and health benefits.

rogan tweet about kombucha

One brand that he enjoys is the super-healthy GT’s brand kombucha, which is marketed as “raw and organic.” Family owned and operated, this brand keeps Rogan’s fridge stocked at his podcast studio. I’ve tried this brand too, and would say it is one of the best out there.

Coconut Water

C2O coconut water is Rogan’s favorite brand of this product. On Twitter in 2014, he said “all coconut water is not created equal.” C2O is made from Thailand coconuts. It’s a delicious source of hydration, and contains antioxidants and minerals that regular water does not.

rogan tweet about coconut water

Also see: How to Supplement Like Joe Rogan: Products You Need

Low-Carb, Carnivore, or Intermittent Fasting?

Rogan likes to experiment with different diets to see what works and what impact they have on his health, body, and energy levels.

“It’s so crazy how much your diet actually affects your overall health, and how few people really consider it when they’re thinking about what they are eating and the consequences of what they are eating.”

-Joe Rogan

Low-Carb Diet

Rogan consistently returns to the low-carb lifestyle because it not only promotes muscle tone but also ensures sustained energy levels.

To follow this diet, Rogan eliminates processed sugars and carbs, including items like bread, pasta, tortillas, chips, refined sugar, sodas, alcohol, candy, and high fructose corn syrup, with the exception of vegetables and fruit.

“I just don’t think that your body is meant to eat that much sugar and that many processed carbohydrates.”

-Joe Rogan

While he consumes limited fruit, he learned from Dr. Rhonda Patrick that fruit sugars are different from processed sugars and provide essential fiber for a healthy gut, emphasizing a preference for vegetables over fruit.

Carnivore Diet

The carnivore diet, as the name suggests, involves consuming solely meat, eggs, and cheese while excluding vegetables, fruits, and carbs. Rogan experimented with this diet for more than a month in early 2020, sharing his experiences with Tom Papa on the JRE podcast. To ensure he met his nutritional needs on this diet, Rogan heavily relied on supplements, including vitamins, amino acids, and fish oil.

“My energy levels were amazing.”

-Joe Rogan, on the carnivore diet

Introduced to the carnivore diet by Jordan Peterson, who discussed his daughter’s success with it in managing autoimmune disorders, Joe Rogan also tried it several times for entire month.

He experienced positive effects on his own autoimmune disorder, vitiligo, affecting his hands. Notably, the diet provided him with stable energy levels without the usual carbohydrate-related fluctuations. Though he’s reintroduced some foods, Rogan continues to include meat in his diet.

Also see about Rogan’s autoimmune disorder: What happened to Joe Rogan’s hands?

Intermitting Fasting

Joe Rogan frequently practices intermittent fasting, as he mentioned on JRE MMA Show #30, where he discussed his morning routine. He enjoys engaging in fasted cardio or yoga after abstaining from food for 14 to 16 hours, depending on his schedule.

Also see: Joe Rogan’s Morning Routine – Setting the Tone for a Good Day

Intermittent fasting involves abstaining from calorie consumption for specified periods, typically 16 hours, though the duration varies among individuals, ranging from 14 to 24 hours.

Episode #28 of the JRE MMA Show featuring UFC legend Georges St. Pierre extensively explores intermittent fasting. George, a strong advocate, emphasizes the choice between being a hungry or full-belly lion, opting for hunger to stay sharp as a UFC fighter.

Peter Attia and Rogan discussed the benefits of fasting on the JRE podcast (YouTube).

Joe Rogan’s Favorite Austin Restaurants

Below is a list of some of Rogan’s favorite restaurants in Austin, Texas as indicated from his Instagram posts.

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Thanks for reading!

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