PMAB - The Food Pyramid & Framework

Two researchers — one a biologist studying cell energy, one a physician studying human evolution — independently arrived at the same food list. Beef, dairy, fruit, eggs. No seed oils. Minimal processing. The pyramid below shows how to build your plate from that foundation, tier by tier.

Foundation — Ruminant Meat & Fat

Grass-fed beef, lamb, bison. Tallow, butter, bone broth. The metabolic base — saturated fat, complete protein, heme iron, zinc, creatine. Every meal.

Every meal

Tier 2 — Fruit & Natural Sugar

OJ, mango, watermelon, honey, dates. Peat's primary carbohydrate source — fructose and glucose support thyroid conversion and liver glycogen.

Daily

Tier 3 — Dairy & Eggs

Whole milk, aged cheese, butter, pasture-raised eggs. Calcium, K2, choline, fat-soluble vitamins. Peat's most emphasized food group alongside meat.

Daily

Tier 4 — Organs & Shellfish

Beef liver, heart, kidney, oysters, clams. Retinol, CoQ10, copper, zinc. Both Peat and Saladino prioritize weekly consumption.

2–3× week

Peak — Functional & Supplements

Gelatin, collagen, magnesium, K2, iodine, selenium. Targeted additions when diet alone falls short. Food first, always.

As needed

Photo · Ray Peat

Ray Peat

PhD · Biologist & Bioenergetics Researcher

Peat spent decades studying cellular respiration, thyroid function, and the pro-metabolic role of saturated fat and natural sugar. His work on PUFA toxicity and hormonal health laid the bioenergetic foundation of PMAB.

Photo · Paul Saladino

Paul Saladino, MD

Physician & Animal-Based Nutrition Researcher

Saladino built the animal-based framework from clinical practice and research — prioritizing organ meats, ruminant fat, shellfish, and ripe fruit as the most nutrient-dense, low-toxin foods available.

The logic

Why this way of eating works

Your body runs on energy

Every cell in your body generates energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. When this works well, you feel it — steady energy, good sleep, stable mood, strong digestion. When it doesn't, fatigue and poor health follow. The food you eat is either feeding that process or getting in the way of it.

Mitochondria ATP production Thyroid function

Remove what disrupts your cells

Seed oils — canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower — are high in linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) that accumulates in your cells over time. Research shows PUFA in cell membranes slows energy production, suppresses thyroid hormone conversion, and produces toxic byproducts when oxidized. Swapping seed oils for butter and tallow is the single biggest lever here.

Zero seed oils Anti-PUFA No linoleic acid

Build your meals around meat and dairy

Beef, lamb, eggs, butter, cheese, whole milk. These are the most nutrient-dense foods available — complete proteins, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K2), minerals that absorb readily. Saturated fat is chemically stable, hormone-supporting, and the fat our cells evolved to work with. Aim for these at every meal.

Saturated fat Grass-fed ruminants Nose-to-tail

Add fruit, honey, and natural sugar

Ripe fruit and honey provide glucose and fructose that fuel your liver and support thyroid hormone conversion from T4 to active T3. Clinical research consistently shows that low-carb diets reduce T3 levels and slow metabolic rate. Orange juice, mango, banana, honey — these aren't treats. They're part of how this way of eating works.

Fructose + glucose Liver glycogen T3 conversion

Balance muscle meat with gelatin

Muscle meat is high in methionine. Gelatin from bone broth and slow-cooked cuts is high in glycine. Research shows excess methionine without adequate glycine accelerates aging and raises homocysteine. Balancing the two is simple: make bone broth, cook oxtail or short ribs, stir gelatin powder into juice or coffee. One habit, significant benefit.

Glycine Gelatin + broth Methionine balance

Fill gaps with organ meats and shellfish

Beef liver is the most nutrient-dense food on earth — a 3oz serving provides a week's worth of retinol (real vitamin A), copper, folate, and B12. Oysters are the highest zinc food available. These aren't exotic — they're just the parts of the animal we stopped eating. Once or twice a week covers most micronutrient gaps without a supplement cabinet.

Liver — retinol + copper Oysters — zinc + iodine Mag + K2 + D3

Reference

Agreement Map

Where Peat and Saladino agree, where they diverge, and the PMAB verdict on every major food. The convergence points are the strongest signals.

When two frameworks built from different starting points land on the same food, that alignment is meaningful. The areas of disagreement are also valuable — they show where individual variation matters and where you need to experiment.

Strong Yes

Yes

Mixed

Limit

Strong No

🥩 Meats & Protein Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🐄

Grass-fed beef

Ribeye, chuck, ground

Strong Yes

Foundation

Clearest agreement in the framework. Eat it daily, grass-finished, fattier cuts preferred. Pair with gelatin/broth.

🫀

Beef liver

3–4 oz, 1–2x per week

Yes

Strong Yes

Weekly

Strong agreement, minor nuance. Saladino more emphatic. Peat cautioned against excess retinol at very high doses. 3–4 oz weekly is the sweet spot.

❤️

Beef heart, kidney, tongue

Other organs

Yes

Strong Yes

Weekly

Full agreement. Heart = CoQ10. Kidney = selenium. Tongue = collagen. Rotate through them.

🐑

Lamb

Chops, shoulder, rack

Yes

Strong Yes

Full agreement. CLA-rich, grass-finished standard in most supply chains. Excellent ruminant alternative to beef.

🐔

Chicken breast

Conventional, skinless

Limit

Agreement to limit. High PUFA (linoleic acid) especially in skin. Breast is the highest-PUFA cut. Pasture-raised whole chicken occasionally is fine — not a daily staple.

🐷

Pork (pasture-raised)

Belly, ribs, shoulder

Mixed

Yes

Occasional

Mild divergence. Peat cautious about higher PUFA vs. ruminants. Saladino includes pasture-raised pork positively. Ribs and belly over lean cuts.

🌊 Seafood Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🦪

Oysters

Fresh, smoked canned

Strong Yes

Weekly

Unanimous. Highest zinc food. Both frameworks treat oysters as organ-meat-equivalent in terms of nutritional priority.

🦐

Shrimp, crab, lobster

Low-PUFA shellfish

Yes

Regular

Full agreement. Low PUFA, high iodine, selenium, zinc. Wild-caught. Easy weekly rotation.

🐟

Wild salmon

Sockeye, king

Limit

Yes

1–2x/wk

Divergence. Peat cautious about overall PUFA load even in omega-3 fish. Saladino includes more positively. PMAB: wild only, occasional, not daily.

🐠

White fish (cod, sole)

Low-PUFA wild fish

Strong Yes

Yes

Regular

Strong agreement. Peat's preferred seafood — near-zero PUFA, clean protein, iodine, selenium. Wild-caught only.

🥛 Dairy Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🥛

Whole milk

Raw or A2 preferred

Strong Yes

Mixed

Prioritize

Key divergence. Peat's single most recommended food. Saladino more cautious, acknowledges individual variation. If you tolerate dairy, prioritize whole milk.

🧈

Butter & ghee

Grass-fed

Strong Yes

Daily

Full agreement. K2, butyrate, saturated fat. Primary cooking fat alongside tallow.

🧀

Aged hard cheese

Cheddar, parmesan, gruyère

Strong Yes

Yes

Daily

Strong agreement. Low lactose, K2, complete protein, calcium. Aged cheese is the most universally tolerated dairy product.

🍦

Ice cream (clean label)

Cream, milk, sugar, eggs only

Yes

Mixed

Occasional

Mild divergence. Peat explicitly approved ice cream as fat + calcium + sugar. Saladino less enthusiastic. Read labels: no seed oils, gums, or additives.

🍊 Carbs & Sugar Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🍊

Orange juice (fresh)

Not from concentrate

Strong Yes

Yes

Daily

Strong agreement. Peat's flagship beverage. Fructose-glucose for thyroid support, potassium, folate. Fresh-squeezed only.

🥭

Ripe tropical fruit

Mango, papaya, pineapple

Strong Yes

Daily

Full agreement. Must be ripe. Dense sucrose, beta-carotene, enzymes. Saladino eats mango and watermelon daily.

🍯

Raw honey

Primary sweetener

Strong Yes

Daily

Full agreement. Best sweetener in the framework. Fructose + glucose + trace enzymes and minerals. Use freely.

🍬

White / cane sugar

Pure sucrose

Yes

Mixed

In context

Divergence. Peat explicitly defended white sugar as pro-metabolic. Saladino prefers honey and fruit. PMAB: acceptable when honey/fruit isn't available, not a staple.

🥔

White potato

Always well-cooked

Yes

Regular

Full agreement. Best potassium-per-calorie starch. Cook thoroughly, avoid green/sprouted. Fried in tallow is the PMAB preparation.

🍚

White rice

Well-cooked

Yes

Mixed

Regular

Mild divergence. Peat includes rice as a clean starch. Saladino prefers fruit and tubers. PMAB: fine as a starch vehicle alongside meat dishes.

🧈 Fats & Oils Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🧈

Butter & tallow

Grass-fed

Strong Yes

Foundation

Full agreement. Primary cooking fats. No upper limit. Grass-fed for K2.

🥥

Coconut oil

Strong Yes

Yes

Strong agreement. Peat was an early coconut oil advocate. MCTs, zero PUFA, high smoke point. Use alongside animal fats.

🫒

Olive oil

Cold use only

Mixed

Yes

Cold only

Mild divergence. Peat allowed olive oil in moderation, cautious about heating. Saladino includes it more freely. PMAB: drizzle only, never for high-heat cooking.

🚫

Seed oils (canola, soy, etc.)

Never

The one unanimous, absolute no. Both frameworks agree entirely. No exceptions. Read every label.

⚖️ Contested Foods Peat Saladino PMAB Notes

🥬

Raw leafy greens

Kale, spinach raw

Skip

Agreement to avoid. Peat: goitrogens suppress thyroid. Saladino: high-toxin plant food. Cooked is a different conversation.

🫘

Legumes

Beans, lentils, chickpeas

Limit

Not a staple

Both cautious. Lectin load, PUFA in larger quantities. Not foundational foods. Test individually if you want to include occasionally.

🌰

Nuts (almonds, walnuts)

Avoid

Agreement. High linoleic acid (PUFA). Walnuts especially. Oxalates and phytate reduce mineral absorption. Not a PMAB snack food.

☕

Coffee

With milk, not black

Strong Yes

Mixed

Yes, with milk

Divergence. Peat's most consistent beverage recommendation. Saladino more cautious about cortisol. PMAB: drink with whole milk and honey — buffers the cortisol effect.

🍫

Dark chocolate 85%+

Mixed

Yes

Occasional

Mild divergence. Saladino includes dark chocolate for magnesium and stearic acid. Peat cautious about oxalates and some polyphenols. Clean label only — no soy lecithin.

🍞

Sourdough bread

Long-fermented

Mixed

Context only

Both cautiously mixed. Better than conventional wheat. Not a foundation food. Use rice and potatoes as primary starches. Sourdough for social eating or transition.

The PMAB Pyramid

Why this way of eating works

Peat & Saladino — where they meet

Agreement Map