Paleo Diet Quick Guide: What To Eat & Avoid

Last Updated on October 1, 2022 by Lori Geurin

If you’re looking for some hints and tricks to get you started with the Paleo lifestyle, you’ve come to the right place! This Paleo diet quick guide will touch on the basic concepts of Paleo. I’ll explain what foods you can eat and the ones you want to avoid.

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And, even though the title of this article says Paleo “diet,” I consider it a lifestyle because that’s genuinely what it is. Paleo is a way of life.

To me, dieting is a temporary fix to an ongoing problem. Also, the word diet has deprivation all over it, and Paleo has nothing to do with depriving yourself. So if I use the word diet, just know I mean lifestyle.

What do you say we jump right in?

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What Is Paleo Anyway?

To understand Paleo, we must travel back to the Paleolithic era – yep, to the time of the cavemen and cavewomen.

Taking a quick look at how our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate reveals Paleo in its purest form. Because they didn’t have access to the sugar-laden, highly processed foods we do today. They ate food that could be hunted or gathered – meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Plus, they worked hard to get their food (and had built-in times of fasting out of necessity) which burned calories and built muscle. Compared to many of our modern-day desk jobs and Netflix-watching nights, is it any surprise that our country is facing such an uptick in obesity and disease?

Related: Obesity-Related Cancers Surge Among Millenials

The good news is that research shows that taking part in the Paleo way of life can reduce some of the risk factors for chronic disease compared to other diets. (1)

So let’s take a quick look at what to eat and what to avoid on the Paleo diet eating plan. Please remember that this is a quick guide, so it doesn’t include every food, but it will give you a good overview of what to eat. (Look for a more detailed list of suggested foods coming soon.)

The Paleo Diet (What The Cave People Ate)

What To Eat On Paleo

Focus on eating plenty of natural foods and healthy fats. There is no need to go hungry when you’re living the Paleo lifestyle, so make sure you’re staying well-nourished.

1. Meat

Beef, turkey, pork, bison, chicken, deer, rabbit, sheep, lamb, veal, etc. Grass-fed and antibiotic-free are best when possible.

2. Seafood

Fish, lobster, crab, mussels, oysters, clams, scallops, etc. Wild-caught and antibiotic-free are best when possible.

3. Eggs

Free range and antibiotic-free are recommended.

4. Fats

Coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, nut butters, nut oils, lard, avocado oil, etc.

Related: Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls: Protein-Rich And Delicious!

5. Nuts And Seeds

In addition to the nuts and seeds themselves, this also includes flours and nut butters made from them, such as almond flour and cashew butter. Yum!

Related: 12 Surprising Health Benefits Of Chia Seeds

6. Fruit

All fruits are allowed, but if you’re trying to lose weight, you may want to stick with berries for now.

Or look for fruits that are low on the glycemic index.

7. Vegetables

Focus on eating non-starchy vegetables, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. These include your leafy greens, onions, peppers, and asparagus.

What To Avoid On Paleo

Avoid any foods that weren’t available to the cavemen. Eat like a caveman diet means avoiding processed, pre-packaged foods and anything considered junk food. Please note that different versions of Paleo allow dairy and legumes, but I’m going to list them here just for fun.

1. Grains

Wheat flour, cereal, pasta, tortillas, bread, corn, rice, and anything containing gluten and lectins may cause inflammatory issues.

2. Dairy

Cheese, butter, milk, yogurt, and ice cream

3. Legumes

Beans, peanuts, and peas

4. Sugary Drinks

Soda, sweet tea, and fruit juice

5. Artificial Sweeteners

Sucralose, Aspartame, and Saccharine – A great natural alternative that we use in our coffee every morning is Stevia. This is our favorite Stevia.

Related: Stevia Health Benefits, Safety And Inside Information

6. Starchy Vegetables (see #7 above)

Potatoes, squash, corn, peas, and parsnips

7. Processed Meats

Hot dogs, deli meat, and bacon

8. Refined Sugar

White sugar, brown sugar, and honey

Related: 20 Proven Reasons Why Refined Sugar Is Bad For Your Health

9. Alcohol

Beer or alcohol containing gluten.

10. Trans-Fats

Any highly processed fats such as margarine, vegetable oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil.

Summary – Paleo Diet Quick Guide

I hope you found this Paleo diet quick guide helpful. Look for more to come on the Paleo lifestyle, and feel free to check out the resources below for more information.

Also, I’ve read and own each of these Paleo books and recommend them all.

Are you familiar with the Paleo lifestyle? Do you have Paleo tips or a favorite recipe to share?

Please leave your comments below. You’re the best!

If you enjoyed this Paleo Diet Quick Guide, you’ll want to read:

• Intermittent Fasting 101: Everything You Need To Know
• Top 25 Healthy Food Instagram Accounts To Follow
• Living Alone And Poor Nutrition: What You Need To Know
• Top 20 Best Healthy Snacks: The Ultimate Guide