Complete Guide to the Paleo Diet

The paleo (short for paleolithic) diet plan is based on the idea that humans should eat food that closely resembles the diets of prehistoric humans. Early humans evolved as hunter-gatherers long before the invention of what we would recognize as modern-day agriculture.

This diet plan attempts to recreate what humans ate from 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago, and eliminating foods that became popular after farming revolutionized what humans could eat.

Proponents of the paleo diet plan believe that it's healthier if humans ate more traditional staples of the human diet, such as meat, fruits and foraged vegetables, and less of the foods that only gained prominence after the emergence of agriculture about 10,000 years ago — so eating less grain, processed foods, legumes and the like. The appeal is that since the advent of agriculture there has been little time for core human metabolic processes to evolve — thus we should eat like cavemen.

Staple Foods and Snacks on a Paleo Diet Plan

So what are considered the core foods of a paleo diet plan? In a nutshell, simple but nutritious foods. Some basic categories include:

• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetables
• Fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon
• Oils derived from fruits and nuts, such as olive oil or walnut oil
• Fruits
• Meat, especially from grass-fed animals or game animals
• Eggs

Specific Paleo-Friendly Foods

• Turkey, quail, goose, chicken, and duck
• Beef, lamb, pork, nitrate-free bacon, elk, deer, and rabbit
• Catfish, tuna, salmon, trout, bass, mackerel, cod, clams, lobster, crab, and shrimp
• Nuts and nut butters, including almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, and brazil nuts
• Eggs, preferably from free-range birds
• Healthy fats from avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, and butter/ghee from grass-fed cows
• Cauliflower, broccoli, lettuces, carrots, peppers, cucumber, radishes, squashes, olives, and mushrooms
• Apples, peaches, bananas, berries, melons, tomatoes
• Acceptable sweeteners from dates, maple syrup and raw honey

Foods to Avoid on a Paleo Diet Plan

The ingredients to avoid on a paleo diet plan are all the foods that would only have been available in recent history to humans. These include:

• Grains, such as wheat, oats and barley (including whole grains and gluten-free), and their derivatives, like pasta and bread
• Dairy products
• Refined sugar, such as cane sugar, beet sugar and corn syrup
• Foods with lots of salt
• Potatoes, corn and rice
• Highly processed foods in general, such as soft drinks, vegetable oils, artificial sweeteners, margarine, trans fats, soybeans and soy-derived products
• Legumes, such as beans, peas and peanuts
• Beer, which is made from wheat, barley and hops (all on the paleo naughty list)

Benefits of the Paleo Diet Plan

Health experts like the paleo diet plan's reduction in highly processed foods and refined sugars, and like that it's high in fiber, potassium and antioxidants (such as found in vegetables, bananas, berries and fish).

The paleo diet plan has been found in some studies to be beneficial for those with or wanting to prevent Type 2 diabetes. One study found that a paleo diet plan improved blood-sugar levels and risk factors compared with a traditional diabetes diet plan.

The paleo diet plan has also been found to be more satiating than other diet plans, meaning that people will consume fewer overall calories because they feel fuller and take longer to get hungry again.

Downsides of a Paleo Diet Plan

Some nutrition and health experts advise against eliminating entire categories of food from your diet, and say that the paleo diet plan's blanket exclusion of dairy could put someone at risk of calcium and vitamin D deficiency. They also point to the healthfulness of whole grains to fuel the body and brain.

It can be difficult to stay committed to diets that are too restrictive, and people with heart, kidney, liver or pancreatic disease have been recommended to follow a paleo diet plan under medical supervision.

Nutrition on a Paleo Diet Plan

The first step in dieting to lose, maintain or gain weight is to calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) based on your current weight and exercise level. If your body burns 2,000 calories a day, then consistently eating fewer calories than that will help you lose weight, and eating more calories will cause you to gain weight.

Food is divided into three main macronutrients, all of which contain calories: Protein, carbohydrates and fat. According to a Harvard study of the paleo diet plan, a standard macronutrient ratio is 30% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 40% fat.

Browse Diet Plans

• Keto Low-carb, high-fat diet focusing on ketosis for energy and weight management
• Vegan Excludes all animal products, emphasizing plant-based foods for health and ethics
• Vegetarian Plant-based diet including dairy and eggs, avoiding meat for health and ethics
• Paleo Emulates ancient diet with whole foods, free of processed items and grains
• Mediterranean Rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil for a balanced, heart-healthy diet
• Low Carb Reduces carbohydrate intake, focusing on proteins and fats for energy
• Low Fat Limits fat consumption, emphasizing lean proteins, grains, and vegetables
• High Protein Prioritizes protein intake for muscle growth and repair, with balanced nutrients
• Gluten Free Avoids gluten, suitable for celiac or gluten sensitivity, focusing on alternative grains
• Other See how to follow other popular plans like Whole30, Low FODMAP, Pescetarian, and more