The paleo diet is designed to resemble what human hunter-gatherer ancestors ate thousands of years ago. Although it’s impossible to know exactly what human ancestors ate in different parts of the world, researchers believe their diets consisted of whole foods. By following a diet of whole foods and leading physically active lives, hunter-gatherers presumably had much lower rates of lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This diet may lead to significant weight loss (without calorie counting) and major improvements in health. Anthropologists also speculate that the paleo diet influenced anatomic and physiologic changes in humans, including increased brain size and reduced gastrointestinal tract size. This article serves as an introduction to the meatless paleo diet, providing a simple meal plan and other essential information.
Understanding the Paleo Diet
The paleo diet includes whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. It may benefit your overall health and reduce your risk for some health conditions, including obesity. Paleolithic humans thrived on various diets, depending on what was available at the time and where in the world they lived. Some ate a low carb diet high in animal foods, while others followed a high carb diet with lots of plants. Some even ate insects, but fortunately, this delicacy is not included in today’s modern interpretation of the paleo diet.
Core Principles of the Paleo Diet
The basic concept of the paleo diet is to eat whole foods and avoid processed foods. The paleo diet plan includes:
- Unprocessed meats
- Fish
- Eggs
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Herbs
- Spices
- Nutritious fats and oils
Foods to avoid typically include:
- Processed foods
- Added sugar
- Soft drinks
- Artificial sweeteners
Foods to limit include:
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- Grains
- Most dairy products
- Legumes
However, it’s important to consider the above as general guidelines, not something written in stone. You can adapt all of this to your own personal needs and preferences.
Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet
The paleo diet discourages the consumption of certain foods, including:
- Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup: soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream, and many others
- Grains: bread, pasta, wheat, cereal, spelt, rye, barley, etc.
- Legumes: beans, lentils, and many more
- Dairy: most dairy, especially low fat dairy (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese)
- Some vegetable oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and others
- Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (use natural sweeteners instead)
- Highly processed foods: everything labeled “diet” or “low fat” or that has many additives, including artificial meal replacements
A simple guideline for the paleo diet is, if it looks like it was made in a factory, avoid it. To avoid these ingredients, you must read ingredient lists and nutrition labels, even on foods labeled as “health foods.”
Embracing a Meatless Approach
Merging plant-based eating with ancestral habits, the Paleo meal plan for vegetarians focuses on vegetarian foods that align with Paleo principles. It includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, along with dairy and eggs. This plan offers a unique approach to vegetarianism, rooted in natural, unprocessed foods. It’s about enjoying the benefits of Paleo while maintaining a vegetarian diet.
Paleo Meal Plan for Vegetarians
"Paleo Meal Plan for Vegetarian" is a harmonious blend of plant-based nutrition and primal eating. Discover a variety of delicious, nutrient-rich vegetarian meals that adhere to Paleo guidelines. This two-week plan is a testament to how a vegetarian diet can be naturally aligned with Paleo principles, offering healthful, diverse, and satisfying meals.
Read also: Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Recipes
Foods to Eat
- Eggs: For protein and nutrients.
- Dairy Alternatives: Almond milk, coconut yogurt, and other non-dairy options.
- Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds for healthy fats and protein.
- Fruits and Vegetables: A wide variety for essential vitamins and minerals.
- Healthy Fats: Avocado and olive oil for monounsaturated fats.
- Seaweed: For iodine and other trace minerals.
- Fermented Foods: Like sauerkraut and kimchi for gut health.
- Herbal Teas: For hydration and antioxidants.
Include a variety of plant-based protein sources such as tofu, tempeh, and legumes to meet protein needs while adhering to a paleo framework.
Foods to Avoid
- Meat and Fish: As this is a vegetarian approach to Paleo.
- Dairy Products: If following a stricter Paleo regimen.
- Processed Vegetarian Foods: Often high in additives and not Paleo-friendly.
- Refined Sugars: Can be inflammatory and are not part of the Paleo diet.
- Legumes: Such as beans and lentils, are typically avoided in Paleo.
- Grains: Like wheat, rice, and oats are not included in Paleo.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Not part of a natural, Paleo diet.
- Processed Oils: Such as canola or soybean oil.
Paleo-Friendly Foods
You can eat a variety of whole, unprocessed foods on the paleo diet. This includes:
- Meat: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, and others
- Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc (choose wild-caught if you can)
- Eggs: may be free-range, pastured, or omega-3 enriched
- Vegetables: broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
- Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, and more.
- Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more
- Healthy fats and oils: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and others
- Salt and spices: sea salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.
Many people prefer grass-fed meats, pastured eggs, and organic produce while following a paleo diet. However, this is not required.
Modified Paleo Diets
There are now several different versions of the paleo diet. Some allow more modern foods, such as grass-fed butter and gluten-free grains like rice. Today, many people think of paleo as a template to base your diet on, not necessarily a strict set of rules you must follow. You can also use the paleo diet as a starting point, adding in a few other healthy foods like grass-fed butter and gluten-free grains.
Sensible Indulgences
While following a paleo diet, the below foods and beverages below are perfectly fine in small amounts:
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- Wine: Quality red wine is not only part of the paleo diet, but it is high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and beneficial nutrients.
- Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants and important minerals like magnesium and iron. Choose a product with 70% or higher cocoa content.
When following the paleo diet, you can indulge in small amounts of red wine and dark chocolate from time to time.
Beverages on the Paleo Diet
When it comes to hydration, water should be your go-to beverage. The following drinks aren’t strictly paleo but are typically accepted as beverages you can consume as part of the diet:
- Tea: Tea, especially green tea, is very healthy and loaded with antioxidants and various beneficial compounds.
- Coffee: Coffee is very high in antioxidants as well. Studies show that it has many health benefits.
Make water your drink of choice when following the paleo diet. Many people also drink tea and coffee.
Potential Drawbacks
While there are many benefits to the paleo diet, there are also some drawbacks. For example, the paleo diet eliminates several food groups that are highly nutritious, including legumes, dairy, and gluten-containing grains. Legumes are rich in fiber, protein, and various micronutrients, including iron, zinc, and copper, while dairy products have essential nutrients like calcium, which is important for bone health. Eliminating these food groups can put individuals following a paleo diet at risk of developing nutrient deficiencies. In addition, legumes are one of the primary protein sources in the vegan and vegetarian diet, which may make the paleo diet unrealistic for vegans and vegetarians. The paleo diet includes foods high in fiber, like vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Since foods high in fiber can have a laxative effect, a person transitioning from a low fiber diet to a paleo diet could experience gastric distress, such as bloating, as a result. It’s important to recognize that there’s no one “right” way to eat for everyone, so while the paleo diet may work for people you know, it may not be best for you. You may want to talk with a doctor or nutritionist before starting a paleo diet.
Sample Paleo Menu
This sample menu contains a balanced amount of paleo-friendly foods. By all means, adjust this menu based on your own preferences.
- Monday
- Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: burgers (no bun) fried in butter, vegetables, salsa
- Tuesday
- Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover burgers from the night before
- Dinner: baked salmon with vegetables
- Wednesday
- Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before
- Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables
- Dinner: ground beef stir-fry with vegetables, berries
- Thursday
- Breakfast: eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover stir-fry from the night before, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: fried pork, vegetables
- Friday
- Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: steak, vegetables, sweet potatoes
- Saturday
- Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover steak and vegetables from the night before
- Dinner: baked tilapia, vegetables, avocado
- Sunday
- Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before
- Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables
- Dinner: grilled chicken wings, vegetables, salsa
You can make a variety of delicious meals using paleo-friendly foods. Above is a sample menu of what 1 week on the paleo diet might look like.
Simple Paleo Snacks
If you get hungry between meals, there are plenty of paleo snacks that are simple and easily portable:
- Toasted almonds or mixed nuts
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fresh fruits and vegetables, including baby carrots, celery sticks, and sliced apples
- Dairy-free chia pudding
Paleo snacks are easy to prepare and take with you on the go. A few ideas include fruit, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, or baby carrots.
Simple Paleo Shopping List
There is an incredible variety of foods you can eat on the paleo diet. This simple shopping list should give you an idea of how to get started:
- Meat: beef, lamb, pork, etc.
- Poultry: chicken, turkey, etc.
- Fish: salmon, trout, mackerel, etc.
- Eggs
- Fresh vegetables: greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, etc.
- Frozen vegetables: broccoli, spinach, various vegetable mixes, etc.
- Fruits: apples, bananas, pears, oranges, avocado
- Berries: strawberries, blueberries, etc.
- Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts
- Almond butter
- Olive oil
- Olives
- Sweet potatoes
- Condiments: sea salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, parsley, etc.
To get started on the paleo diet, use the shopping list above to stock your pantry and fridge with delicious, paleo-friendly foods.
Eating Out on Paleo
Eating out while following the paleo diet doesn’t have to be hard. Simply select a meat or fish dish on the menu and swap in some extra veggies. Here are some simple guidelines:
- Order a meat- or fish-based main dish.
- Get extra vegetables instead of bread or rice.
- Ask for your food to be cooked in olive oil or avocado oil.
The Pegan Diet: A Hybrid Approach
We’re used to hearing weird new terms popping up in the wellness world, but what the heck is the pegan diet? Basically, if the best of veganism and the best of Paleo-ism had a baby, this is what we’d get. As a doctor, it is my job to figure out the best way to keep my patients healthy. We now know that food is medicine, perhaps the most powerful drug on the planet, with the power to cause or cure most disease. Looking at the research, it is easy to get confused. Vegan diet studies show they help with weight loss, reverse diabetes and lower cholesterol. Paleo diets seem to do the same thing. Essentially, each camp adheres to their diet with near religious fervor. And each can point to studies validating their point of view.
After reading dozens of studies on vegan and paleo diets, even I could get confused. But I don’t, because I read between the lines not just the headlines. These type of studies are further complicated because it is very hard to tease out the factors that matter. So is it the meat or is it the sugar? Hard to know. Many experimental studies on vegan or paleo diets, which should give more direct evidence of cause and effect, often have only small numbers of people in the study, making it hard to draw firm conclusions. Even worse is the diets they use for comparison (the control group) are not ideal alternative diets. I vote for being a pegan, or paleo-vegan, which is what I have chosen for myself and recommend for most of my patients.
Defining the Pegan Diet
Let’s focus first on what is in common between paleo and vegan (healthy vegan), because there is more intelligent eating has in common than there are differences.
- Eat lots of plants. The deeper the colors, the more variety, the better. This provides a high phytonutrient content protective against most diseases.
- Buy as clean as can be. Low in pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and probably no or low GMO foods.
- Get good quality fats. Omega-3 fats for all. And most camps advise good quality fats from olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados.
- Eat enough protein. Source Responsibly. If animal products are consumed they should be sustainably raised or grass-fed.
Pegan Dietary Guidelines
- Dairy: Both the paleo and vegan camps shun dairy and for good reason.
- Grains: For millions of Americans, gluten creates inflammation, autoimmunity, digestive disorders and even obesity. But do all grains cause a problem? All grains can increase your blood sugar. And if you eat any flours made from grains, you might as well be drinking a soda. Stick with small portions (1/2 cup at a meal) of low-glycemic grains like black rice or quinoa.
- Beans: Beans are a great source of fiber, protein and minerals. But they do cause digestive problems for some. If you are diabetic, a mostly bean diet can trigger spikes in blood sugar. Again, moderate amounts are okay - meaning up to one cup a day.
- Meat: All meat is not created equally. Is it feedlot beef that has more palmitic and myristic acid that raise cholesterol and increase inflammation, or is it grass-fed beef that has more cholesterol neutral stearic acid and contains protective omega-3 fats and vitamins A and D that raise glutathione and other antioxidants? Some studies show meat increases heart disease and death rates, but others show the opposite. Eating sustainably raised, clean meat, poultry and lamb and other esoteric meats such as ostrich, bison or venison as part a healthy diet is not likely harmful and is very helpful in reducing triglycerides, raising HDL (or good cholesterol), lowering blood sugar, reducing belly fat, reducing appetite, raising testosterone and increasing muscle mass. On the other hand, eating a lot of meat puts pressure on the planet - more water use, more climate change and more energy inputs.
- Eggs: For years we were taught that cholesterol is bad, that eggs contain cholesterol, so they must be bad; so we all suffered through years of egg white omelets, leaving the vitamins, nutrients and brain fats like choline in the garbage. Now eggs have been exonerated and are not associated with increased risk of heart disease or any impact on cholesterol.
- Fish: If you are worried about mercury in fish (and you should be), then choose small, omega-3 fat-rich fish such as sardines or wild salmon. If you are a vegan and don’t want to eat anything with a mother for moral or religious reasons, then that’s perfectly okay. But it’s critical to get omega-3 fats, and not just ALA (or alpha linolenic acid) found in plants. You need pre-formed DHA, which is what most of your brain is made from. The good news: You can get it from algae.
Everyone needs vitamin D3 (unless you are life guard or run around naked south of Atlanta for at least 20 minutes a day, all year long). And omega-3 fats are hard to get for most. Supplements (or a regular sardine diet) are essential.
Is the Pegan Diet Effective?
This way of eating makes the most sense for our health and the health of our planet. This is a complicated story with many characters, opinions and beliefs - all arguing their points with a mix of studies showing a variety of conclusions. We can try to focus on what we know and customize it based on our preferences and beliefs. But we should leave religion out of nutrition while respecting individual choices.