The Paleo Diet – A Beginner’s Guide Plus Meal Plan

The Paleo diet is based on the emulation of our hunter-gatherer ancestors emulate. It does not contain processed whole foods that look like they appear in nature. Our ancestors were genetically identical to modern humans. They thrived these foods to eat and were free from diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Several studies suggest that this diet can lead to significant weight loss (without counting calories) and great health improvements.

A Paleo diet meal plan

There is no "right" way for all to eat and Paleolithic people thrived in a variety of systems, depending on what was available at that time. Some ate a low-carbohydrate diet high in animal foods, other carbohydrate-rich diets with many plants. Consider it as a general guideline, not something carved in stone. You can customize this to your own needs and preferences.

The Basics

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats, and oils.

Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.                                                         

Avoid These Foods

Avoid these foods and ingredients:

·     Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream and many others.

·     Grains: Includes bread and pasta, wheat, spelled, rye, barley, etc.

·     Legumes: Beans, lentils and much more.

·     Dairy: Avoid most dairy, especially low-fat (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairies like butter and cheese).

·     Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and others.

·     Trans Fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods. Usually referred to as “hydrogenated” or partially hydrogenated” oils.

·     Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Sucralose, Cyclamates, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium. Use natural sweeteners instead.

·     Highly Processed Foods: Everything labeled “diet” or “low-fat” or has many weird ingredients. Includes artificial meal replacements.

A simple guideline: If it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it!

If you want to avoid these ingredients, then you MUST read ingredients lists, even on foods that are labeled as “health foods.”

Foods to Eat on the Paleo Diet

Base your diet on these real, unprocessed paleo foods.

·     Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others.

·     Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.

·     Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs.

·     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: Lard, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and others.

·     Salt and Spices: Sea salt, Himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.