While some consider following a paleo diet a challenge, a simple paleo diet food list can make it clear which foods are okay to eat and which should be avoided. There is not a strict consensus on this, but the underlying principle of paleo diets is the same: Any foods your ancestors didn’t eat shouldn’t be eaten by you, either.
Paleo Diet Food List
Plenty of Meat
A wide variety of meats can be included on the paleo diet food list:
- General or red meats: beef, pork, veal, rabbit, wild boar
- Poultry: chicken, turkey, game hens
- Fish: bass, trout, salmon, tuna, halibut, sole (and many more)
When creating your paleo food list meat section, just remember to include any meats your ancestors would have eaten. Meats are very unrestricted, since they are natural and relatively unprocessed. Also note, duck, goose and chicken eggs can be included in a paleo food list.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables also are allowed in great quantity and variety on your paleo diet food list because they would have been widely available and eaten by ancestors.
- Apples
- Bananas
- Avocado
- Berries of all types
- Carrots
- Squashes
- Mushrooms
- Peppers of all types
- Melons
- Grapes
Fruits and vegetables are another area of your paleo food list that could be endless. All natural fruits and vegetables are acceptable, and should be eaten as a very regular part of your paleo diet.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are other items that should be included on your paleo food list in great quantities. These can be a wonderful snack throughout the day or a tasty supplement to a meal or dessert.
Beverages
While the more processed beverages that many drink today are to be avoided, there are still plenty of beverage items that can be on your paleo food list.
- Coffee
- Tea
- Wine, beer, other spirits
- Some diet sodas*
*Since diet sodas will include artificial sweeteners they are left off of some paleo diet food lists, but are likely acceptable in moderation.
Foods to Avoid
Of course a paleo diet food list would not be complete without addressing which foods and types of foods should be avoided. Remember that anything processed or loaded with additives will be something your ancestors did not have access to, and therefore is something to be avoided.
- All processed dairy products: milk, yogurt, ice cream, butter, cheese
- Grains: including breads, pasta, cereal, wheat items, rice and corn
- Beans: all types of beans should be avoided, including lentils, peanut butter and peas
- Processed sugars: found in candies, honey and many other sweets
Paleo Diet Food List – Conclusion
Making it Work
There is some complaint that a paleo diet does not offer enough tasty variety but the simple fact is that it offers a very wide variety of natural foods. Switching to a paleo diet can be challenging with today’s high carb servings, but with a little research it is easy to find many delicious recipes on a natural diet of meat, fruits and veggies, and create your paleo diet food list accordingly.
