The Complete Paleo Diet Food List: What to Eat and What to Avoid (2024)

The paleo diet is meant to mimic what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. But what foods should you eat to follow this diet and what foods do you want to avoid? If you're new to the paleo diet, knowing what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner can be hard. As with most diets, some foods are allowed and some are not allowed. Some foods also fall into a grey area and are sometimes allowed.

Our ultimate list of paleo-approved foods will help simplify your planning for dining out or cooking at home. Whether you're a beginner, looking for a refresher on the rules or just want to adopt some of the healthiest parts of the paleo diet, here's what you need to know to eat paleo.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The premise behind "eating paleo" is that the current Western diet contributes to the rise of chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease and cancer. Paleo diet proponents claim eating this way can reduce inflammation, improve workouts, increase energy, help with weight loss, stabilize blood sugar and even reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

The pros of paleo are that it focuses on increasing the intake of whole foods, fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins and healthy fats, and decreasing consumption of processed foods, sugar and salt. For those looking to eat a more well-rounded diet, these "guidelines" sound familiar and altogether healthy.

However, the paleo diet also advocates cutting out grains, dairy and legumes, and this has caused controversy among nutrition experts. These foods, despite what paleo advocates claim, are healthful and can be good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Foods You Can Eat on the Paleo Diet

In short, if your ancestors could hunt or gather it, it is allowed on the paleo diet. This includes:

• Grass-fed meat: choosing grass-fed is healthier for you, the environment and closer to what our ancestors ate
• Fish and seafood: choose wild-caught
• Fresh fruits and veggies
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

Meat & Seafood

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Most meat and seafood fit into a paleo diet. Meat is a source of lean protein, and protein is the building block of all cells and tissues. Protein also helps keep you full. Watch out for pre-marinated and cured meats that may contain added sugar. Common meat and seafood choices in the paleo diet include:

• Chicken
• Beef
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Pork
• Bacon
• Cod
• Turkey

Grass-fed meat is recommended on the paleo diet because it is leaner than meat from grain-fed animals and has more omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats that reduce inflammation in the body and protect your heart. A typical American diet is high in saturated and trans fats and lower in healthy poly- and monounsaturated fats, hence the paleo diet's emphasis on grass-fed meats.

Look for chicken raised without antibiotics and try to source your meat from a local farm to learn more about how it was raised.

Choosing wild seafood over farm-caught may help boost your omega-3 intake, too. Look for wild salmon and other sustainably caught seafood when you're eating paleo.

Fruits & Vegetables

Featured Recipe: Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri

There is little argument over the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. They are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. The only caveat for people on the paleo diet is that some vegetables are starchy (e.g., potatoes) and some fruits are higher in sugar (e.g., bananas). So, if you are trying to lose weight or watch your blood sugar levels, eat these in moderation. In fact, potatoes are banned from some strict versions of the diet.

Many paleo followers wonder if bananas are paleo because of their higher sugar content. They are considered paleo. One medium banana has 113 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas are an unprocessed, whole food with a good source of potassium.

The key to remember with eating paleo is that you want your diet to contain unprocessed, whole foods, so fruits and vegetables should make up the bulk of your diet. Frozen vegetables without added sauce are also allowed on a paleo diet.

Examples of produce to eat on a paleo diet:

Paleo Vegetables

• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potatoes
• Butternut squash
• Cabbage
• Spinach

Paleo Fruits

• Apples
• Berries: including blackberries, blueberries and strawberries
• Melon
• Grapes
• Bananas
• Citrus fruits
• Peaches
• Plums

Eggs

Eggs are allowed because they are high in protein, B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are also affordable and easy to prepare. Buy organic and cage-free eggs for a higher omega-3 content than eggs from chickens raised in cages.

Nuts & Seeds

Tree nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats, fiber and protein. Plus, they were foraged in prehistoric times, so you can load up your cart with them. Keep in mind that peanuts are not considered paleo because they are technically legumes that grow underground.

Paleo Nuts & Seeds

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Pistachios
• Walnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Pecans
• Hazelnuts
• Pine nuts
• Brazil nuts
• Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• Chia seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Flax seeds

Healthy Oils

Featured Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower and Walnut Dip

Oils are trickier. Loren Cordain, Ph.D., founder of The Paleo Diet movement, breaks down which oils are healthy on the paleo diet: olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils are all allowed because they were gathered directly from the plant. While our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably did not consume flaxseed oil, it is allowed because of its content of high alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid.

Paleo Oils

• Olive oil
• Walnut oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Macadamia oil
• Avocado oil
• Coconut oil

Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet

If you are following a strict paleo diet, you should avoid the following foods. These foods are not permitted on the paleo diet:

• Cereal grains
• Legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils, tofu)
• Refined sugar
• Processed foods
• Soda and sweetened beverages
• Refined vegetable oils
• Salt
• Artificial sweeteners

Grains

On the paleo diet, you won't be consuming much (if any) cereal, crackers, rice, pasta, bread and beer. Yes, beer. All grains are forbidden on the paleo diet. Why? First, grains are a product of modern agriculture; cavemen didn't nosh on bread. Second, grains are high in carbohydrates, which can spike your blood sugar.

Paleo critics point out that not all grains are created equal—whole grains do not spike your blood sugar as much as refined grains. Even so, people on the paleo diet still steer clear of grains because they contain different compounds and proteins like gluten, lectins and phytates, which they claim cause inflammation in the body and block other nutrients from being absorbed. Paleo critics say gluten is not a problem unless you have an allergy or sensitivity to it, and lectins and phytates are not problematic on a balanced diet.

Legumes

Legumes are members of a large family of plants that have a seed or pod. This category includes all beans, peas, lentils, tofu and other soy foods, and peanuts. This also includes peanut butter and soy sauce. Legumes are not allowed on paleo because of their high content of lectins and phytic acid. Similar to grains, this is controversial in the scientific community. In fact, lots of research (including a 2021 study published in Nutrients) supports eating legumes as part of a healthy diet because they are low in fat and high in fiber, protein and iron.

Processed Foods

Processed foods often contain refined sugars, salt, refined vegetable oils and artificial sweeteners. Our ancestors didn't eat these foods. Plus, there is little argument in the scientific community that refined sugars and excess salt contribute to obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.

There is some disagreement, however, over vegetable oils and artificial sweeteners. The American Heart Association recommends consuming corn, safflower and canola oils, but paleo plans say these are "not allowed" because of the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids and the way the oils are processed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several artificial sweeteners as safe to consume, but they are not allowed on paleo since they are man-made, processed food. Plus, although artificial sweeteners lower calories in food, research shows they can still cause us to crave sweets and that they can be harmful to our gut bacteria.

Foods You Can Sometimes Eat on the Paleo Diet

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Dairy

A strict paleo diet does not allow dairy products because hunter-gatherers did not milk cows. This includes milk, butter, yogurt, sour cream and cheese. However, some people on the paleo diet say dairy is OK, especially if it is grass-fed because grass-fed butter, for example, has more omega-3s, according to a 2019 study published in Foods. Fermented dairy products like kefir are also OK for some paleo eaters because they have a lower content of lactose and casein, the two concerns people on the paleo diet have with dairy. If you prefer to avoid dairy on the paleo diet, you can substitute non-dairy products made with coconut milk, almond milk and cashew milk.

Starchy Vegetables & High-Sugar Fruits

This is a gray area. Sugary fruits and starchy vegetables (potatoes, squash, beets) can spike your blood sugar more than berries and spinach. That's why these are OK in moderation and are best to minimize if you are trying to lose weight, according to paleo experts.

Alcohol

It's best to avoid alcohol if you are strict paleo. Beer is made from grains, and liquor also contains traces of gluten. But good news for cider lovers: Most hard ciders are gluten-free, so they are allowed. Check the label to be sure. Red wine is more accepted in the paleo community because it contains the antioxidant resveratrol, but sorry, Chardonnay lovers, white wine is technically not allowed.

Sample Paleo Diet Menu

Featured Recipe: Paprika Chicken Thighs with Brussels Sprouts

See our full 7-Day Paleo Diet Meal Plan to get more inspiration for paleo eating. Below is a sample day of what paleo eating might look like:

Breakfast: Eggs and spinach with raspberries on the side

Snack: Pumpkin seeds and dried apricots

Lunch: Spaghetti squash with shrimp

Afternoon snack: Banana with almond butter

Dinner: Chicken with sweet potatoes and vegetables

How to Make the Paleo Diet Fit Your Lifestyle

This is a brief guide to following the paleo diet, but EatingWell doesn't believe in being so restrictive. Eating some of the foods that are outside of a traditional paleo diet, like whole grains, dairy and legumes, is necessary to add important nutrients to your diet.

If you're interested in the paleo diet plan but don't think you want to be so strict, you don't have to be all-or-nothing with your approach. Consider adopting some eating patterns from paleo and skipping the ones that don't work for you. For example, try just eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting down on added sugars. If you feel unsure about grains or dairy, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian to determine what's best for your body.