JD Vance previously revealed he had lost 30lb since his 2022 Ohio Senate campaign and more recently took diet advice from Robert F. Kennedy Jr, replacing his plan to give up sugar for Lent with a high-protein regime centred on fermented vegetables.

Vance, 42, discussed the diet at a White House briefing recently, where he looked slimmer. Other Trump cabinet members reportedly follow Kennedy's diet.

What Vance Actually Ate

Vance said Kennedy talked him out of a sugar-free Lent and onto something stricter. 'Basically, I eat a lot of high protein stuff and I eat a lot of sauerkraut,' he said.

'And let's just say that if that was Fat Tuesday, Fat Wednesday never came,' he joked, referring to the day he called Kennedy. Vance recalled Kennedy replying: 'No, no, no. I've got something that's way better than that and way more intense.'

The plan was developed by Dr Sean O'Mara, who advises patients to eat grass-fed steak with fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi. He claims it reduces visceral fat around organs and improves the gut microbiome.

Kennedy has followed the regime, saying he lost 20lb in 30 days by 'only eating meat and fermented foods'. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have reportedly taken it up.

Vance's verdict was blunt: 'If you want to lose weight, call Bobby Kennedy. And if you want to enjoy what you eat, do not call Bobby Kennedy.'

Why It's Suddenly a Talking Point

The briefing was Vance's first since press secretary Karoline Leavitt left the role, and one reporter asked bout his weight loss. 'How much sauerkraut do you eat in a day?' one asked.

Vance replied: 'When you're Vice President and the first question at a press conference is about how much weight you lost, you must've gotten fat.'

Trump has also noticed the change. At Easter lunch, Trump singled Vance out: 'Where is JD? He's lost weight. He got a little thinner. I'm looking for a heavy-set gentleman, and now I find a perfect-looking specimen.'

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Kennedy's plan 'a crazy diet' built on nothing but 'sauerkraut and meat'. He said it was not sustainable because Kennedy 'has to travel with coolers of sauerkraut'.

Rubio added: 'I'm not gonna travel the world with a cooler full of sauerkraut.' The plan is a modified carnivore diet, which conventionally cuts out fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, although this version includes fermented vegetables.

The British Heart Foundation says conventional carnivore diets are high in saturated fat and protein but contain very little fibre. The charity warns that saturated fat from red meat and dairy can raise bad cholesterol, while salt in processed meat can raise blood pressure. These effects can increase the heart attack and stroke risk, and it does not recommend the diet.

Harvard Health warns animal fat is mostly saturated fat that raises LDL cholesterol. It says keto-style diets can carry risks of kidney stones, gout and osteoporosis, while high protein can strain the kidneys.

A 2021 survey of over 2,000 carnivore dieters found most reported better health and improvements such as lower blood pressure. Researchers cautioned that results were self-reported and had not been independently verified through objective health assessments.

Harvard Health describes the Mediterranean diet, built around fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and fish, as a more sustainable eating pattern. The British Heart Foundation similarly recommends a varied, balanced diet rather than the carnivore approach.

Vance has denied using weight-loss jabs like Ozempic, insisting diet and exercise are behind his transformation.

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