Blood Type O Diet Food Lists: What to Eat and What to Avoid

If you have Blood Type O and want to support your gut health, manage your weight, and reduce your likelihood of health issues associated with your blood type, the Blood Type O Diet gives you a framework for making more targeted food choices.

The Blood Type O Diet isn't simply about losing weight or following another high-protein diet. It's about choosing foods that are biologically compatible with your Type O body so you can support your overall health from the inside out.

In this article, I'll walk you through 5 foods Blood Type Os are encouraged to eat, 5 foods to avoid, and why these choices matter for your health. 

According to Dr. D’Adamo's framework, Blood Type O is on the opposite end of the diet spectrum from Type A. Type O favors animal protein, particularly red meat, as a major source of nourishment, while placing less emphasis on grains and other carbohydrate-rich foods. Because Type Os have a high level of stomach acid, they are better equipped to digest and metabolize meat.

Join the Type O Community Hub to learn to implement the Type O Diet

Dr. D’Adamo noted that O stands for “old,” since Type O was the first blood type to be studied. In another place in the book, he said that O stood for “zero,” denoting zero antigens against Types A, B, and AB. Since Type Os have zero antigens, Type O is the universal blood type and can be given to anyone who needs a blood transfusion.

Within the Blood Type Diet framework, animal protein provides Type Os with fuel for muscle formation and helps prepare the body for higher levels of physical activity, as if it were preparing for a hunting lifestyle. This is one reason why popular approaches such as ketogenic, carnivore, Paleo, and Atkins diets can look familiar to Type Os.

In my opinion, it is likely that some of the people promoting carnivorism are experiencing the benefits of a diet that happens to align particularly well with their Type O biology without realizing they may be Type O as well. 

The problem is that what works beautifully for a Type O may not be the right approach for everyone, which is all the reason to consider a personalized blood type approach to dieting.

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Everything we eat interacts with our bodies, and within the Blood Type Diet framework, certain foods are considered more compatible with the chemistry of your blood type than others. Dr. D’Adamo's approach focuses heavily on lectins and their interaction with different blood types, with the goal of choosing foods that are less likely to trigger an unfavorable response.

This is why I don't believe the best diet is simply the diet that happens to be popular right now. Keto, carnivore, Paleo, and other approaches may contain foods that work well for a Type O, but that doesn't automatically mean every food within those diets is right for you.

Eating in alignment with your blood type gives you a framework for becoming more selective about what you eat.

And for Type Os, that selectivity can be especially important when your goal is to support gut health, weight management, energy, and overall health.

Join the Type O Community Hub to learn to implement the Type O Diet

With that said, there are certain foods considered “healthy,” ketogenic, or carnivore-friendly that Blood Type Os should not eat according to Dr. D’Adamo's recommendations. Eliminating foods that don't align with your Type O diet may help you create an eating pattern that feels better suited to your body.

Below is a list of popular foods for Blood Type O, along with why they are considered beneficial or best avoided within the Blood Type Diet framework.

5 Type O Beneficial Foods to Know

You don't need to memorize the entire Type O food list to get started.  Start small and build upon it.

🥩 1. Beef

Why it's included:
Beef supports various functions in the Type O body, like muscle formation, stress balance and red blood cell production.  Learn more in my beef benefits post.

Easy way to use it:
Keep it simple. Make or order a burger with a gluten-free bun, cook ground beef with vegetables, or order a steak when you're eating out.

🥬 2. Kale

Why it's included:
Kale is a good source of fiber and vitamin K for Type Os and also contributes to a healthy microbiome.

Easy way to use it:
Cook a pot of it using my recipe, add it to a ground beef skillet, or blend a small amount into a smoothie.

🫘 3. Black-Eyed Peas

Why it's included:
Black-eyed peas are one of the only two beneficial beans for Type Os, helping to strengthen the digestive tract.

Easy way to use it:
Add them as a side with steak and kale greens using my recipe, or use them in a hearty soup.

🍒 4. Cherries

Why it's included:
Cherries are included in for their alkaline effect on the Type O digestive tract and support weight loss.

Easy way to use it:
Enjoy fresh or frozen cherries as a snack, add them to a smoothie, or use them as a marinade for your steaks.

🫒 5. Olive Oil

Why it's included:
Olive oil is a great monounsaturated oil for Type Os to support the heart, arteries and to reduce cholesterol.

Easy way to use it:
Use it to sauté vegetables, drizzle it over cooked greens, or make a simple salad dressing.

5 Type O Foods to Limit or Avoid

The avoid category can be one of the most confusing parts of the Type O food list.

Seeing a familiar food on the list doesn't mean you have to panic and clean out your entire kitchen tonight.

Instead, start by learning which foods are on the list and noticing where they show up most often in your current meals.

🌾 1. Wheat

Why it's included:
Wheat is the main food to avoid for Type Os since it leads to Candida overgrowth. Because wheat appears in so many everyday foods, this can be one of the more noticeable changes when you begin exploring the Type O approach.  

Easy Swap:
Rice and almond flours are usually great substitutes for wheat when eating bread and pasta.  Gluten-free is the “no-wheat” label, but still ensure there is no corn or potatoes on the ingredients list.

🥛 2. Dairy

Why it's included:
Many dairy foods are placed in the avoid category of Dr. D’Adamo’s Type O food list.  Dairy, including milk, cheeses and yogurts, disrupt the Type O microbiome and cause digestive issues and inflammation.

Easy Swap:
Dairy is in many dishes and recipes, so start by identifying the dairy foods you rely on most often. Then experiment with soy, almond and rice versions.

🌽 3. Corn

Why it's included:
Corn is included because it triggers leaky gut and disrupts gut microbiome for Type Os, also contributing to Candida overgrowth.

Easy Swap:

Try cassava or almond flour instead of cornmeal, rice crackers instead of corn chips, and Type O-friendly vegetables or starches when corn is part of the meal. For packaged foods, check labels for corn and corn-derived ingredients.

🥔 4. Potatoes

Why it's included:
Certain potatoes, including common white and red potatoes and all others except sweet potatoes, are foods for Type Os to avoid since they cause inflammation and gut microbiome imbalance.

Easy Swap:
Here’s another opportunity to swap in some Type O beneficial root vegetables, like parsnips and turnips.

🫘 5. Kidney Beans

Why it's included:
Kidney beans disrupt the Type O metabolism and slow muscle formation.

Easy Swap:
If you regularly use kidney beans in chili, soups, or bowls, try substituting with black-eyed peas or black beans (neutral for Type Os).

Start Before You’ve Memorized the List 

You don't need to memorize the entire Type O food list to get started.

Start with these ten foods. Make a few swaps. Notice what you normally reach for, and begin learning which Type O choices you can make instead.

And when you're ready to explore more, join the free Type O Community Hub.

Inside the Hub, you'll get the Type O Starter Kit, which includes the full Food List Guide and practical tools to help you shop, plan meals, make food swaps, and get started with the Type O diet.

Over time, you'll naturally start remembering the foods you buy and eat most often.

The goal isn't to know every food on the list by heart. It's to become confident enough to look at a meal and know how to make a more aligned choice.

Start with these ten foods.

Wonder. Discover something new to try, and build from there.