The Paleo diet has gained popularity as a way of eating that mimics the diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. This article provides a basic introduction to the paleo diet, providing a simple meal plan and other essential information. It emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods and excludes grains, legumes, dairy, and refined sugars. 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.
Understanding the Paleo Diet
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. Anthropologists also speculate that the paleo diet influenced anatomic and physiologic changes in humans, including increased brain size and reduced gastrointestinal tract size (1).
Core Principles
The basic concept of the paleo diet is to eat whole foods and avoid processed foods. 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 (1). Some even ate insects, but fortunately, this delicacy is not included in today’s modern interpretation of the paleo diet.
What to Eat
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.
Read also: Paleo Granola Recipes
What to Avoid
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.”
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.
Sensible Indulgences
While following a paleo diet, the below foods and beverages below are perfectly fine in small amounts:
- Wine: Quality red wine is not only part of the paleo diet, but it is high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and beneficial nutrients (3, 4).
- 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 (3, 5, 6).
What to Drink
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 (3):
Read also: Paleo Diet Delivered: What You Need to Know
- Tea: Tea, especially green tea, is very healthy and loaded with antioxidants and various beneficial compounds (7).
- Coffee: Coffee is very high in antioxidants as well. Studies show that it has many health benefits (8).
Potential Benefits of the Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet has been associated with many health benefits, from better blood sugar levels to reduced inflammation. It may also increase satiety and help correct nutrient deficiencies. By swapping processed foods and refined sugars for nutrient-rich proteins and healthy fats, you can cut calories and kick-start weight loss. Keep in mind that the amount of Paleo diet weight loss can vary depending on many factors, such as what your diet was like beforehand. The Paleo diet plan encourages eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants, which help neutralize the harmful free radicals that contribute to inflammation in the body.
Weight Loss
The focus on nutrient-rich whole foods makes the paleo diet suitable for weight loss, Rodriguez says. To lose weight, you need to maintain a calorie deficit. Many paleo-friendly foods, like red meat, nuts, and seeds, have a high caloric density. For example, 8 ounces of steak contains more than 600 calories. Imagine you’re preparing a paleo meal of grilled chicken breast and roasted veggies. Think about how you would fill your plate to get the most nutrients for the fewest calories.
Blood Sugar Control
While not as extreme as a very low- or no-carb diet, Paleo does restrict many types of carbohydrates, such as cereal grains. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the benefits of following a Paleo diet versus a diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association in 24 participants with diabetes. Of course, lifestyle factors also play an important role in diabetes prevention.
Heart Health
Promising research shows that the Paleo diet could be beneficial for heart health.
Potential Drawbacks and Considerations
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 (9, 10). 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 (11).
Read also: Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe
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 (12, 13). 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 7-Day Paleo Meal Plan (1800 Calories)
This sample menu contains a balanced amount of paleo-friendly foods. By all means, adjust this menu based on your own preferences. This paleo meal plan serves as a template to help get you started. Each week rotates two breakfasts and snacks, and three lunches and dinners. Rodriguez suggests following the week one menu to start building up your paleo food knowledge and recipe bank. But keep in mind that the total calories noted on the meal plan are based on the ingredients listed.
Day 1
- 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
Day 2
- Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: Leftover burgers from the night before
- Dinner: Baked salmon with vegetables
Day 3
- 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
Day 4
- Breakfast: Eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: Leftover stir-fry from the night before, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: Fried pork, vegetables
Day 5
- 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
Day 6
- Breakfast: Bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: Leftover steak and vegetables from the night before
- Dinner: Baked tilapia, vegetables, avocado
Day 7
- 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
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
Getting Started: A 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.
Eating Out on the Paleo Diet
Eating out while following the paleo diet doesn’t have to be hard. 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.
- Swap out any starches.
- Order a veggie as a side dish.
Tips for Following a Paleo Diet
Here are some tips for successfully adopting a Paleo diet:
Shop Smart
Print out a list of healthy Paleo foods, and bring it with you to the grocery store for an easy reference. As a simple rule of thumb, opt for whole foods that have been minimally processed whenever possible. Rodriguez’s number one tip for eating paleo is to think fresh, wholesome, and natural. When grocery shopping, you’ll mostly stick to the outer edges of the grocery store. Since this diet excludes processed foods that use preservatives, you’ll need to grocery shop more frequently. Remember that frozen veggies are a perfectly acceptable alternative for fresh.
Plan Ahead
Just bring the ingredients to a point where they’re ready to cook or reheat when you’re hungry. Take control of your meals and your health with this 4-week Paleo Meal Plan that is chock full of recipes (67 to be exact), 28 days completely planned out for you, and 4 weeks worth of grocery lists already put together. No need to worry about what to feed yourself and your family every day when dinnertime rolls around. Because with the prep and planning tips in this plan, you’ll have as much prepared in advance as you can so that food is on the table in no time. And leftovers for lunch most days mean that you have even less cooking and prep work to do each day.
Prepare in Advance
Make the Spaghetti Sauce in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks (reserve some for Week 3). Make Spicy Egg Muffins in advance. They refrigerate and freeze very well. Make Frittata up to a week in advance. Make the Paleo Lime Mayo at the beginning of the week. Save all your bacon grease. Peel/slice/dice all vegetables and store them in food storage containers in the refrigerator. Carrots, peppers, and potatoes should be stored in water to keep them from drying out and browning. Brussels sprouts should be stored in a dry container. Make all the chicken nuggets for Day 8 and Day 13 in advance. Freeze or refrigerate the entire batch and just reheat what you need on those days. The nuggets actually taste better as leftovers. If you’re extra ambitious, make enough for Week 3. For Country Potatoes, boil and refrigerate the potatoes at least 1 day in advance. Make quiche in advance and refrigerate, tightly covered, until you’re ready to eat it. Make the Paleo Lime Mayo at the beginning of the week. Save your bacon grease. Peel/slice/dice all vegetables and store them in food storage containers in the refrigerator. Carrots, peppers, and potatoes should be stored in water to keep them from drying out and browning. Brussels sprouts should be stored in a dry container.
Avoid Temptation
One of the best ways to avoid unhealthy cravings and snack foods is to simply keep them out of your kitchen altogether.
Listen to Your Body
It can be easy to load your diet up with fried bacon and butter and still technically be following a Paleo diet plan. Eat when you feel hungry, and don’t worry about counting calories (such as in the CICO diet) or macronutrients. If you find that you’re not losing weight, consider cutting back on high-carb, high-fat foods, such as nuts, seeds and oils. Any diet should be paired with a healthy lifestyle to maximize results for the long term.
Stay Flexible
If the regular Paleo diet feels overly restrictive or difficult to follow, try a modified version instead.
Paleo vs. Keto
Both low-carb, low-sugar diets that tend to be nutrient-dense, Paleo and keto eliminate the majority of sources of “empty calories” in the typical Western diet. The main difference between the Paleo vs. keto is that the keto diet is higher in fat, while the Paleo diet tends to be higher in protein. While the Paleo diet eliminates added sugar, grains, beans/legumes and dairy, the keto diet eliminates basically all sources of sugar - this includes fruit and the Paleo go-to starch sweet potatoes. Conversely, on the Paleo diet, the goal is not to get into ketosis, but simply to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
The Bottom Line
The paleo diet is modeled after what hunter-gatherers are believed to have followed. With each fad diet that comes along - seemingly every few months these days - there is an initial burst of hype, with media outlets all over the author and numerous stories that are trumpeting, “finally, we found the diet to address all of our health woes.” Though this is never true. One of the latest crazes to hit the diet circuit is the Paleolithic movement - a diet that focuses on eating “how our ancestors ate.” It tries to emulate what early humans ate in the period before agriculture and the domestication of animals. That basically means a diet of meat and veggies - avoiding dairy, grains, legumes, processes oils, and refined sugar. The claim is that these modern, processed and selectively bred foods are partly responsible for the rise of modern-day health problems, like heart disease and obesity.
Ultimately, to get the full affect of the Paleo diet, you need to pair it with a rigorous workout routine. Most hardcore proponents of the diet suggest that training should not be the sole focus, instead, getting your body moving in natural ways in outside environments. This helps to stimulate the real world strains and stresses that our ancient ancestors went through to survive and stay healthy. The reality though is that it’s not a sustainable or achievable workout regime for most people. Completing CrossFit-type workouts that are focused on generic routines that use bodyweight and Olympic lifting are able to closely mimic the types of full body workouts that say, “taking down a mastodon.” Typical gym workouts of parking yourself on the treadmill for an hour or busting out some bench presses and leg presses are not encouraged.
The Paleo diet isn’t sustainable for everyone because it’s fairly restrictive and doesn’t allow for a lot of food flexibility, which is important for long-term, sustainable weight loss. “The greatest con of the Paleo diet is the exclusion of some extremely healthy foods like beans, whole grains, and low-fat dairy,” says Jones Armul. “All three of these foods are rich sources of many nutrients that can contribute to good health and long-term weight loss and weight management.” Choosing to follow a strict Paleo diet will leave you at a disadvantage of whole grains, beans, legumes, and dairy products - all of which are an excellent source of fiber, calcium, protein, and vitamins and minerals. In the long run, an overly restrictive diet can be difficult to follow. Sustainability and adherence is key - can you stick with this eating style forever, especially in various social and eating scenarios? Research has shown that the greatest predictor of successful long-term weight loss isn’t the diet itself, but rather the ability of people to maintain the lifestyle.
Here’s a Paleo-inspired meal plan that mixes the best parts of caveman eating with modern world reality. Try to limit processed and packaged foods like chips, cookies, sodas, and white bread. “Simple carbs may be an efficient fuel source before or during a workout, since they provide short, quick energy,” says Jones Armul, “but this is also the reason they should be limited outside of workouts.